Jump to content

David Villa "Now is the right time to move"


MrJibbles

Recommended Posts

After flirting with several English clubs in the past, David Villa is eyeing up a move to the Barclays Premier League. The Valencia striker has had a change of heart after failing to secure a transfer to Barcelona or Real Madrid last summer and is finally ready to leave Spain, a message that will be received with interest in the boardrooms of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.As a lightning-fast forward with a rare eye for goal, Villa’s skills remain as compelling as ever, but his circumstances have changed. In an interview with The Times, the 29-year-old admits for the first time that he is willing to move abroad and is ready for a challenge beyond the two giants of Spanish football, which was not the case when Chelsea made a £36 million bid last summer.“Quite simply, I rejected the possibility of moving abroad at that moment because there were issues that would not allow me to leave my country . . . my wife was pregnant and it didn’t seem right to leave,” he said.“I like the Premier League a lot. It’s the league I follow the most along with La Liga and I’ve got a lot of friends playing there.“There are a lot of globally important teams there that play very good football.”Despite his frustrations at the start of the season, Villa has maintained his outstanding form in front of goal and his 12 goals in 14 league games show that his professionalism prevents his disappointment from affecting his performances.This has not gone unnoticed by Europe’s top clubs, who are already aware that, with 35 goals in 54 appearances as a full international with Spain, Villa scores goals whatever the circumstances.“I have a duty to Valencia, it’s my club: the one that pays my wages and with whom I have a contract,” he said. “This summer they’ll have a look at things, analyse them and in time we’ll see what happens.“All I can do now is stay relaxed, try and score as many goals as possible and have a good a season as possible, as much as with my club as with the national team.”Valencia have admitted that they need to find about £40 million by the end of next summer to remain solvent — reports claim they have more than €700 million (about £620 million) in debt — and that they must listen to offers for Juan Manuel Mata, David Silva and Villa.Consequently, the striker is preparing his young family for a move: his English is improving and he is engaging in frequent conversations with Spanish friends, including players and journalists, who have already made the move abroad.However, Villa’s willingness and capacity to adapt to another country have been questioned by some of his closest allies in the Valencia squad. A senior player said: “He [Villa] needs friends around him. He needs to joke, be understood, be listened to and feel secure in his comfort zone.”Villa is quick to disagree. “That’s not true. I think that’s said because of what happened in the summer when I rejected a move to another league. I’m someone who left home at 21 years of age to be with my wife and I’ve always been a long way from my family — and I really don’t see them all that often. I’m a survivor.“Adapting to a new language, to the football, it’s all part of being a footballer. Having said that, I’m comfortable here, calm, happy; I show that better out on the pitch than in front of a microphone.“We’re still a long way off from the months of June and July, and when they come around we’ll analyse the situation then.”There may be another twist to this story in March, when the contract runs out with his representative, José Luis Tamargo. Countless agents have been in touch with the player, promising him the best deal out of a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs.Tamargo has been contacted by the decision-makers at Chelsea, Manchester City, United, Liverpool and Arsenal in the past two years, but the list of realistic potential suitors in England has been reduced to just three.Chelsea would love to partner Villa with Drogba, but know that a move in January is impossible, while a transfer embargo is likely to prevent a summer move. Manchester City have been willing to push for him in the recent past, but their project has, until now, not been attractive enough for the player.Manchester United have also registered an interest, but have never followed it up with an offer.Villa believes that there has never been a better time for the best English clubs to make their move for one of the very best Spanish players around. “Maybe quite a few years ago, Spanish players were reluctant to leave La Liga for another league,” he said.“But that’s all changed now. There are very important players, a showcase of Spanish footballers playing for Premier League clubs; and there are players in other leagues, lesser leagues, as well.“I think that the Spanish footballer has changed in this aspect in the last few years.”• David Villa will appear in Goles y goles y goles on Sky Sports 1 at 7pm on December 30Do believe the hypePlaying recordClubs: Valencia, Real Zaragoza, Sporting Gijón Domestic record: 182 goals, 336 league games European club record: 16 goals, 42 gamesInternational classHow Villa’s international record compares with other leading Spain forwards:Villa 35 goals, 54 games Raúl 44, 102 Fernando Torres 23, 71 Fernando Morientes 27, 47Wanted man?Villa has interested plenty of top European clubs in recent years but is yet to secure a big move.Liverpool Recommended by Torres to Rafael Benítez last summer, but the Liverpool manager believed that to accommodate Villa he would have to build the team around the Spain forward.Barcelona Had £37 million bid turned down last summer, with Valencia wanting £45 million.Chelsea Attempted to sign Villa in the summer but put off by fee and believed he wanted to stay in Spain.Real Madrid Sought other targets, notably Karim Benzema for £30 million, after talks in June.Manchester United Continue to have a longstanding interest but chose to reinforce forward line with Michael Owen in the summer.Words by Gary Jacobhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article6965770.ece
Would love him to join us, the money is there to be spent, it's down to Wenger to stump up the cash with Villa being a fan of our style of football. Won't join which is the sad thing.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want dont know if we need can see fergie playing him left midfield or something foolisha Berbatov - Villa partnership would be frightening

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Malcolm Tucker
I want dont know if we need can see fergie playing him left midfield or something foolisha Berbatov - Villa partnership would be frightening
i rekon utd would be quite silly to let him go to any other prem team tho....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

SIlva gets injured too often anyways would much rather Mata who is a lot cheaper or even Pablo but looks like valencia is a fixture for a couple seasons

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rooney left-wing? :lol:
did you not see his performances there last season. I like him as a frontman but sometimes i thingk the pressure for him to get the goals people expect hinders his performnces take the pressure away and we might see the special Rooney again. He's just as effective out wide as he is through the middle, and as things go he's probably the person in our squad best equipped to play there week in week out.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

He played there as a LM in a 4-4-2 yeah?
i think what the original poster meant was a 3 of berbatov villa rooneylike what man u did when it was ronaldo tevez rooneyrooney on the left of a front 3 puts more than a shift in played some of his best fotball there
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...