Let’s be honest from the off: nobody saw it coming. There were no leaks in the press, no “come and get me” declarations and no pressure from either side. To be totally truthful, even Claudio Ranieri, the Monaco manager, knew nothing about it!
The arrival of Dimitar Berbatov at Monaco on the last day of the January transfer window caught everybody by surprise including, probably, the player himself.
He turned 33 the day before and had spent more time walking than running in the first half of the season with Fulham, in which he scored only four goals in 18 Premier League games as frustrations grew regarding his on-pitch nonchalance.
Meanwhile, Monaco had lost Falcao to a serious knee injury on January 22, which left them with three French forwards.
24-year-old Emmanuel Riviere has nine Ligue 1 goals this season but remains an unknown quantity, with nobody sure if he could sustain that form throughout the season. Indeed, he has not scored since January 26.
Also on Monaco's books are Valere Germain, 23, who is a good goalscorer but has not consistently impressed and was wholly snubbed by Ranieri in the first part of the season (although has scored three goals in 2014) and two-goal Anthony Martial, who is just 18 and, while considered the next big thing in French football, is still very young and inexperienced.
Thus, Monaco clearly needed reinforcement and were linked with plenty of options including Hulk, Mirko Vucinic, Alessandro Matri, Fabio Quagliarella, and Javier Hernandez.
Considering their financial power, Monaco could have bought almost anyone they wanted and then, suddenly, Berbatov showed up in the south of France after Vadim Vasilyev, the club’s vice-president who is in charge of transfers, gave him a six-month contract.
Ranieri was informed of the deal once it was already signed and the recruitment of the former Bulgarian international -- he scored 48 goals in 77 games for his country -- was greeted in Ligue 1 and beyond with great scepticism.
This writer did not and still does not think Berbatov fits in such a tactical and physical league, that he would enjoy a cold evening on a bumpy pitch away at Evian, for example, and that he would get on with his new manager. After all, Ranieri dropped James Rodriguez to the bench earlier in the season because he didn’t defend enough!
However, in his first six weeks in France, "Berba" seems to have settled down well. He has a new hair cut and is enjoying the sun and lifestyle of Monte Carlo.
On the pitch, he started his first league game on Saturday against Sochaux and his technical relationship with Rodriguez was encouraging. Furthermore, he played the whole 90 minutes and, most importantly, he scored after just six minutes.
It was an easy tap-in after a perfect cross from Layvin Kurzawa but important nonetheless: “It was an easy goal but it was a very important one for me” he said afterwards. Berbatov also won a penalty, which was converted by Rodriguez, to ensure a 2-1 win for Monaco.
However, the doubts are still there. Before starting last weekend, he had played 45 minutes in the space of three games (PSG, Reims and St Etienne) and did not take a single shot!
He played 57 minutes in a cup tie against Nice in February and scored the winner (another tap-in) with his only shot of the game. Without him on the pitch, Monaco have struggled in 2014 and not played well but, with him, nothing has changed and he has made little impact.
Despite his experience and technical ability, Berbatov doesn’t really fit in the 4-4-2 formation -- featuring a diamond midfield -- that Ranieri plays and.
Nevertheless, the rest of the squad has been impressed by him so far, Ranieri, who is never too full of praise for his players, has appreciated the efforts made to integrate in the team quickly and the directors at the club are already thinking of renewing his contract for next season.
“It will depend on his willing and the club’s willing. He is under contract until the end of the season but we want to keep him if everything goes well so let’s see,” stated Vasilyev last month.
In the mean time, while there is room for improvement, it seems that Berbatov has earned his place in the starting lineup. Ahead though are two big upcoming games -- away at fifth-placed Lyon and at home vs. Lille, who are currently third -- where his team will need him to be decisive.