Monaco Fc

AS Monaco FC striker Dimitar Berbatov has confirmed his desire to sign a new contract with Les Rouges et Blancs in the summer.

Berbatov, 33, joined Monaco on loan from Fulham during the January transfer window and has become a first-team regular under manager Claudio Ranieri at the Stade Louis II.

The former Bulgaria international, whose current contract at Craven Cottage is set to expire at the end of the season, will be looking for a new parent club in July.

He plans to sit down with Monaco officials to discuss a new contract when the 2013/14 campaign comes to a close, and rightfully so.

Last year, the Principality were playing in France’s second-tier, Ligue 2, but an audacious summer spending spree funded by Russian owner Dmitry Rybolovlev has put the club on the verge of UEFA Champions League qualification.

With four league fixtures remaining on schedule, Ranieri’s side (21-9-4) are eight points clear of third-placed Lille OSC (18-10-6) for the final automatic UCL qualification place.

The club’s meteoric rise has made the Stade Louis II one of the most desirable workplaces in world football.

“My future? Everything is fine for me here, I play and score,” Berbatov told L’Equipe.

“When the season is over, we will sit around a table and we will decide if I stay or leave.

“I am doing my job on the pitch so far and I try to prove I am quite good. Do I want to stay at Monaco? Yes, I would like to stay.”

Berbatov, who has found the back of the net in each of his last two appearances, has tallied six goals and three assists in 12 games in all competitions for Monaco this season.