Russian Champions Zenit St Petersburg want to sign Dimitar Berbatov from Manchester United, according to a report in the Metro.

The Bulgarian has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, and could face the indignity of being a fifth choice striker if he remains with the club this summer, with the arrival of Robin van Persie being confirmed this afternoon.

He was kept out of the squad last season by England youngster Danny Welbeck, and was limited to just 21 appearances, whilst Javier Hernandez is also a preferred option up front. And with Wayne Rooney and van Persie likely starting up front for the majority of the new season, it is difficult to imagine the Bulgarian being happy with even more prolonged spells on the bench.

It is believed Bayer Leverkusan – who sold the player to Tottenham Hotspur in 2006 – are also interested in his services, along with AC Milan, Juventus, Galatasaray and English duo QPR and West Ham.

All parties have been put off by his £110,000-a-week wage demands so far, however Zenit are prepared to pay out after making him their number one transfer target.

Sir Alex Ferguson has previously told the player he can leave, and Zenit are understood to have informed the Red Devils that they are willing to enter formal negotiations, with the move possibly being completed within the next fortnight.

In spite of his limited appearances last season, Berbatov was joint top scorer in the Premier League in the 2010/11 season, sharing the Golden Boot Award with Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez.

He joined United from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 for a club record £30million, and has scored 56 goals in 149 appearances, helping the team to Premier League glory in his debut season and again in 2011.

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