Ferguson Set to Extend Dimitar Berbatov's Contract

Dimitar Berbatov is set to stay at Manchester United for another season after Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the club will activate a clause that ties him to Old Trafford until 2013.

United's £30.75m record signing has found opportunities limited since January, with Ferguson preferring to partner Wayne Rooney with either Javier Hernandez or Danny Welbeck.

Speculation had been rife that Ferguson may sell the 30-year-old, whose Manchester United contract runs out in June, during the January transfer window.

Galatasary and Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala were both heavily linked with Berbatov but Ferguson has revealed the Bulgarian is going nowhere.

"Dimitar is still in my thoughts," the Manchester United manager said. "I have read some things but there is absolutely no reason for me to let him go.

"He is an outstanding footballer and we will give the extra year. It is unfortunate the form of Javier Hernandez over the last year has been outstanding but he [Berbatov] plays a great role and he trains well.

"He has no complaints. The boy is a great professional and we are happy for him to be here. You need a good number of strikers in the modern day. If you look back to 1999, we had four great strikers. They all played their part. That is exactly what will happen today."