Arsenal appear ready to go all-out to recruit David Villa. The Spanish striker has been a long-time target for the winter window, but Barcelona have been reluctant at best to allow him to leave the club.

As the transfer deadline looms (Thursday, in case you weren't sure), Arsenal are confident they can push through what would be a marquee transfer.

Breakthrough

Arsene Wenger has refused to accept defeat in his pursuit of the forward and has been encouraged that the runaway La Liga leaders have softened their stance on selling him in recent days.

Sources have suggested that Villa is “very keen” to join Arsenal after growing frustrated with his lack of opportunities at the Nou Camp.

Wenger is a long-time admirer of Villa, who turned 31 last month, and is prepared to pay up to £13.8 million to sign him on a permanent deal and match his current £110,000-a-week wages. This in itself is a departure for Arsenal, let alone for a 31 year-old. The striker performed the closest thing to a transfer request, which does not exist in Spain, by telling the hierarchy at Barcelona that he wanted to join Arsenal this month, rather than waiting until summer.

Whether this is responsible for Barcelona's new stance is unknown, but Villa has been making a lot of noise.

Deadly

Despite returning from a leg break this season, the striker has scored 10 goals in a minimal number of appearances, including 12 starts, making him Barca's second-highest scorer. He can of course play all along the forward line and would represent the sternest of competition for Messrs Giroud and Walcott.

He has some of the highest shot accuracy in Europe, and best of all he wants to play for Arsenal.

Dick Law is believed to have travelled to Spain to negotiate the structure of the deal, including the waiving of various clauses in the Fabregas and Song deals, and this leverage could help to push the deal through.

Arsenal have until Thursday night. Let's hope that's long enough.

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Comments  

#18 ED 2013-01-31 05:45
Quoting Andrew Smith:
Come on Barcelona play the game. If I had my way if this deal doesn't go through I would put a clause in all Arsenal players contracts saying they will never be sold to Barcelona. Lets see who quickly they start playing ball.

If Villa got us in the Champions League next season it will be money well spent.

u r right everyone says arsenal is inheriting barca style but the truth is barca started winning trophies there after our players had gone there..and with arsenal players they have achieved a lot. if they r not returning just 1 single player and we r in need of that world class player...NO MORE should b sold to them...they will surely come in the summer transfer window for our next player.... WAIT...
JUST KICK THEIR ASSSS..... AND I THINK OUR BIGGEST RIVALS R NOT MAN UTD,CHELSEA OR SPUDS... IT IS BARSELONA ND MAN ***TY.... THE 2 TEAMS DEVELOPED STRONGLY BY OURSELFS... NEW RIVALRY SHOULD START BETWEEN BARCELONA ND US... NOT REAL VS BARCA...
CREATORS VS CHILDRENS
#17 ED 2013-01-30 17:26
Wenger pls dont send anymore of our players to that club......we have sold many of our players in recent years to that club.. King Henry,Emanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, Alexander Hleb, Silvinhio, Alexander Song, Cesc Fabregas....but they r not returning 1.....NO MORE...IF THEY CAME IN NEXT SUMMER WINDOW FOR OUR PLAYERS JUST SHOW THE MIDDLE FINGER......AND ALSO BRING """MATS HUMMELS""" THEIR TOP PRIORITY TARGET TO ASHBURTON GROVE.....COME ON WENGER REALIZE...IN THIS WORLD EVERYONE ARE LOOKING FOR THEIR OWN VICTORY.
#16 weldon 2013-01-30 02:35
if we dont get him we need some1 just as good as him to say in the top 4
+3 #15 lucky 2013-01-29 04:08
wenger is a great manager but kroenke policy makes wenger sacrificed. we need usmanov to take over. #KroenkeOut
#14 Andrew Smith 2013-01-28 22:23
Sod Barcelona. Wenger to stay with Usmanov as the banker.
-4 #13 alastair Kerr 2013-01-28 22:04
Arsenal only sell their best players to Barca - not the other way round - no signings this month.
-2 #12 Andrew Smith 2013-01-28 21:52
Sky Sports has just said that Arsenal have no interest in David Villa. Could be wright or a smoke screen.

https://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/8451329
-4 #11 Dino 2013-01-28 21:10
I thought Wenger said were not in for him
+4 #10 .T. 2013-01-28 20:58
Villa still has great movement whilst majorly opting the correct runs and who also plays the game a couple of moves ahead of most defenders, i think he would be a great signing. I know its allot of money for a player his age but it is better to overpay on a player who has two or three seasons in him as opposed to waiting for the ideal player who might not even choose us and we are losing points in the meantime.
#9 Andrew Smith 2013-01-28 20:31
Come on Barcelona play the game. If I had my way if this deal doesn't go through I would put a clause in all Arsenal players contracts saying they will never be sold to Barcelona. Lets see who quickly they start playing ball.

If Villa got us in the Champions League next season it will be money well spent.
-11 #8 Arsenal hero 2013-01-28 19:44
Are you people nuts. 13 million for a 31 yr old that will give us maybe 1.5 seasons. Are we really this desperate???
+4 #7 BBGUNNER 2013-01-28 19:43
I agree. Villa's class will over many hours in the training ground and field of play, rub off on Walcott( who is still rough around the edges, Giroud and Ox.

I watched Villa's last game against Osasuna. Villa had his wife and newborn in the stands. Thae cameras focused on him and the wife afater the game, when the real hero was Messi with his four goals in the match.

This seemed like a goodbye from the Villa family.
+2 #6 Mint 2013-01-28 19:35
I'll believe it when it happens.
Dick Law is one of the reasons we lose out on players every transfer window so we shouldnt get our hopes up if he's involved
+6 #5 brian 2013-01-28 18:52
Come Wenger get villa we need him
+6 #4 Tom 2013-01-28 18:31
This is just based on one article by Goal.com so I really wouldn't get your hopes up just yet...
#3 D1 2013-01-28 18:25
I just hope they're not giving up too much, such as the rumored right of first refusal for Cesc. I doubt that Song will yield any bonuses given his lacklustre performances (when he's gotten on the field), so why not give those up if it helps seal the deal.
+4 #2 faisal ali 2013-01-28 18:23
i think david has alot to offer if the story is serious
+3 #1 Accuracy 2013-01-28 18:19
;) - good write-up. I'd like to see this deal go through. Even if not as prolific on the pitch as he has been in the past, a world class player can have a tremendous impact on developing players like Giroud, Theo, Ox, Etc.