David Villa Set For £15m Summer Move?

Despite the transfer window being closed, there is always transfer gossip doing the rounds in the papers and we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest news during the coming months. Today, could David Villa be heading to the Premier League?

Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with a move for Barcelona striker David Villa, whose expected to leave the Nou Camp for around £15m in the summer, according to the Daily Star.

The Spanish hitman has struggled to regain his first team place at Barcelona after recovering from a broken leg and has been restricted to just 11 appearances this season, leading to reports he could be looking for a move.

The Star claims the 31-year-old would like to try his luck in the Premier League before he retires and Arsenal and Chelsea are understood to be interested in signing the prolific striker, with the Blues said to be keen on partnering Villa with his international team-mate Fernando Torres up front at Stamford Bridge.

The report also claims that Swansea have been linked with a surprise move for the former Valencia man, but Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has poured cold water on that speculation and insists Villa wont be leaving when the transfer window re-opens in January.

However, Balague claims that the player will be on the move in the summer and suggests a fee in the region of £15m will be enough to land him.

“David Villa is not going to Swansea in January. Other clubs are knocking his door but he doesn’t plan to move this winter,” he wrote on his blog.

“He’ll be looking to leave this summer and with just one year left on his contract, a figure of about £15million should be enough to persuade Barcelona to let him go.”

Balague is quoted as saying by the Daily Star.

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While he may be pst his best, David Villa is one striker I would love to see plying his trade in the Premiership, so I hope there is truth behind the Star’s report.  I could see the little Spaniard doing very well at a team like Arsenal, who are crying out for a deadly finisher such as him. You’d have to question whether Arsene Wenger would sanction a big-money move for a player the wrong side of 30 though.

On the other hand, I’m struggling to see where he’d fit in at Chelsea. With Juan Mata, Oscar, Victor Moses and Eden Hazard all vying for supporting roles behind Fernando Torres it’s difficult to see where Villa would play if he did end up going to Stamford Bridge next summer. Most likely he’d be fighting it out with Torres for the single striker birth, but neither player is going to be happy playing second fiddle.

Lets see how this plays out over the course of the season but I hope Villa does come to England, I’m just not convinced he’ll be wearing an Arsenal or Chelsea shirt if he does.

Would you like to see Villa at Arsenal or Chelsea? Get involved in the comments section below.