David Villa: BARCELONA striker David Villa won’t be heading to the Barclays Premier League after all after signing with Atletico Madrid.
The FC Barcelona announced Monday a tentative agreement with Atletico Madrid for transfer to Atletico David Villa to a maximum of 5.1 million euros, reserving 50 percent of a future transfer.
“FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of the player David Villa to the Madrid club,” Barca said in a statement.
The transaction is estimated at a maximum of 5.1 million euros, spread over 2.1 million this season, two million more if the player belongs to Atletico Madrid the season 2014/15 and another million if his contract extends until the season 2015/16. In addition, the club reserves 50 percent of the rights to a future transfer of the player, according to the Catalan club.
In this way, Atletico Madrid completes the signing of a striker who had become such a high priority following the departure of Radamel Falcao to AS Monaco. Atletico coach himself, Diego Pablo Simeone, had expressed concerns about the lack of signings, despite the hiring of Leo Baptistão and Jose Maria Gimenez.
Initially tried Atletico Madrid Alvaro Negredo hiring as confirmed himself Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido, but the demands of the Andalusian club thwarted the possible operation.
Finally chosen was Villa, a cheaper option in view of the figures revealed by the Catalan club, which the Spaniard came to Barcelona in the summer of 2010 from Valencia. The striker has played a total of 119 official matches and has won a total of 48 goals in a Barca shirt: 33 in the Spanish Liga, 8 at Champions League, 6 Cup and 1 in the Supercopa of Spain.
After a first phase production in Barcelona, the situation changed radically when Villa broke his left tibia during the Club World Cup in December 2011. After a long recovery to him from the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine, the ‘Guaje’ returned to play last season, but never became a key player in the scheme of Tito Vilanova.
The arrival of Neymar at Barcelona further complicated the situation in the club the attacker, who has opted for change of scene and wearing the red and white shirt, aware that reaches a Champions League club and it takes minutes to continue to have the confidence Vicente del Bosque, the World Cup in Brazil next summer.
Interestingly, one of his first official matches with the elastic pullover could occur against Barca, as both teams, as holders of the two national competitions, will play the Super-cop of Spain in August.