La Liga is moving rapidly. In the case of Barca, there are presidential elections which are a huge consideration and Joan Laporta is making some lightning moves before the 13 June election day.
David Villa is on the verge of joining Barcelona on a 40 million euro transfer from Valencia. A further 7 million euros has been set aside for the Valencia striker as a pre-contract amount in last year’s negotiations. Joan Laporta, Barca’s president indicated that the present negotiations are in an advanced stage and could Villa could be officially part of the club as early as Wednesday.
“We have begun negotiations with Valencia and continue the process because he is a player we are interested in. The two sides are now finalizing the agreement. We are missing a few details that we need to take care of and hopefully it would all be sorted out soon. “
The striker will undergo a medical on Friday. Villa will become the first signing after the barely concluded season.
For Valencia, a club in considerable financial difficulties, half that transfer amount will directly to to repay a businessman who had given loans to the club in its hour of need.
Villa was on Man Utd’s radar for a long time but his age came in the way. The club’s policy of not paying big bucks for talent over 26 years with less promise of a big resale value was a key consideration. It is hard to see how Barca’s attack can be further improved but someone who scores an average of 20 goals per season can’t be overlooked. Laporta was at pains to state that this did not mean the end of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Barca career but it sure looks like it.