Football FanCast columnist Hans Schmitz wonders if Spurs should look to a South American as a possible replacement for Dimitar Berbatov.

I'm sure there aren't many Spurs fans who expect Dimitar Berbatov to be at the club next season. After weeks of uncertainty that caused many fans to feel that the Bulgarian may have an about turn and stay, reports today suggest that a move to Manchester United is somewhat imminent and likely to be concluded by the end of the week.

Berbatov's departure will be a massive blow for the football club and he will certainly take some replacing. His performances in the last two seasons have been simply out of this world; 45 goals and nearly just as many assists are testament to the contribution he has made in North London, and why he will be so sorely missed.

I don't know if other Spurs fans agree with me when I say that the thought of Berba lining up against us in the Premier League will be something of a bitter pill to swallow. In all honesty I am astonished that Manchester United is the only club putting a firm bid for the Bulgarian and that is of great detriment to the club. Would an AC Milan or Barca move in, then Spurs could just sit back and watch a bidding war take place, however just one tabled bid leaves the aces very much in United's hands, as they know the player is desperate to leave North London.

So how do we go about replacing Berbatov and who are the candidates that are readily available? Ruud Van Nistelrooy or a Jan Huntelaar would honestly be my first choice, but then I would given my nationality, however both are available and certainly wouldn't let the club down. David Villa has been muted, as has Andrei Arshavin, both excellent footballers but would they be as effective as Berba is alongside Keane? That for me the key and finding the right forward to fit into our system - the two Dutchman certainly will as would the three South Americans we have been linked with in recent weeks.

Roque Santa Cruz



Falcao Garcia



Diego Milito

Three top quality strikers and all available at the fraction of the fee we will likely receive when Berbatov moves on. Santa Cruz is tried and tested in the Premier League; Milito is an experienced campaigner, while in Falcao we would be taking a gamble. I personally feel that all three would be a welcome addition to the ranks and provide the necessary attributes we need from a target man.

Who would my fellow Spurs fans like to see replace Berbatov and should we take a chance on any of the South Americans, or should we be looking elsewhere?