Wolfgang Holzhauser has branded reports linking Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov with a return to Bayer Leverkusen as “pure speculation”.
The Bundesliga outfit’s CEO responded negatively to claims by the player’s agent earlier in the week that contact had been made between his client’s former side and the English champions over a possible transfer.
“This is pure speculation,” asserted Holzhauser to news agency DPA. “Also, we do not want to get involved as the Bulgarian is currently under contract with Manchester United.”
The chief executive also clarified reports that he had recently spoken to Berbatov by stating that talks were strictly personal, and added that the two have been in little contact with each other since the forward’s departure to Tottenham in 2006.
“I view this [the speculation] with some displeasure,” Holzhauser continued. “The contact between Berbatov and I was only based on a friendly nature.”
In his most recent match, the 30-year-old Berbatov netted a hat-trick against Wigan. In addition to Leverkusen, a number of other clubs have been linked with his signing, including Tottenham and Fulham.