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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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
https://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/8451329
If Villa got us in the Champions League next season it will be money well spent.
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.
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