Man City and Chelsea told Barca star is available for the right price
Published:David Villa may be plying his trade in the Premier League before the start of the new season as Barcelona have hinted that they would be willing to let the Spanish striker leave the club for the right price.
Villa’s first season at Barcelona since his £40m switch from Valencia went relatively well as he scored 24 goals in all competitions from an unfamiliar role out on the left side of a forward three.
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old himself has enjoyed his time at Barcelona and stated only recently that he wants to retire at the Catalan giants
However, with Barcelona not in the strongest financial position and some supporters unimpressed with Villa’s general contribution, it appears there is a chance he could leave Barcelona in the near future.
The Premier League seems the most likely destination for Villa, with Manchester City and Chelsea both interested in securing his signature.
Chelsea have already had a £27m offer rejected by Barcelona and it would take more than double this amount to force Pep Guardiola into selling.
But interestingly, the £45m price tag put on the head of Villa is still less than the £50m that Chelsea paid for his Spanish strike partner Fernando Torres in January, despite the fact that Torres’ international scoring record is worse and he is more injury prone.
The chances of Manchester City making a substantial offer for Villa would certainly increase if they receive their £50m asking price for wantaway striker Carlos Tevez, with Barcelona considered one of the favourites to buy the Argentine.
The capture of Villa for Manchester City and Chelsea would give their Premier League title chances a huge boost, with the pair currently priced at 7/2 and 5/2 respectively to be crowned champions.
