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Arsenal have made a formal approach for David Villa as they prepare a second bid for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez, Goal.com can reveal.
The Londoners remain in talks with Atletico to sign Adrian after tabling an opening offer of around £10 million, which was revealed by Goal.com earlier this week.
But Arsenal will not push through the deal for Adrian until they are definitively told by Barcelona that Villa is not available for a transfer this month.
Arsene Wenger is a long-time admirer of Villa, who turned 31 last month, and is prepared to pay up to £13.8m to sign him on a permanent deal and match his current £110,000-a-week wages.
SOURCE: Goal.com
Whilst clearly Arsene Wenger is not known for moves to bring in players over the age of 30 but David Villa is clearly a level of talent that would tempt the Arsenal boss into making an exception.
The former Valencia man is something of a bit-part player at Barcelona, vying for a spot supporting Lionel Messi but more often than not losing out to the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Pedro and even on occasion youngster Cristian Tello, therefore the option to move to the Emirates Stadium may well tempt the Spanish international.
David Villa’s move to Barcelona should have seen the lethal finisher further his career progression after a hugely successful period at the Mestalla but it hasn’t worked that way. The Catalan side paid £33m to sign the striker two and a half years ago and though he has scored fairly regularly he hasn’t hit the same prolific level of form he produced at both Valencia, though his return of 40 goals from 91 appearances is by no means pedestrian.
Arsenal could well do with attacking alternatives and Villa would appear to lead Adrian in Wenger’s pecking order of targets.
Though Theo Walcott has certainly shown he can adequately fill the striking role he clearly hankers for Arsenal could certainly do with alternatives. Olivier Giroud has experienced a patchy spell at the Emirates Stadium thus far and as such a move for a striker must be Arsene Wenger’s priority for this month.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...s-8439097.html
The Londoners remain in talks with Atletico to sign Adrian after tabling an opening offer of around £10 million, which was revealed by Goal.com earlier this week.
But Arsenal will not push through the deal for Adrian until they are definitively told by Barcelona that Villa is not available for a transfer this month.
Arsene Wenger is a long-time admirer of Villa, who turned 31 last month, and is prepared to pay up to £13.8m to sign him on a permanent deal and match his current £110,000-a-week wages.
SOURCE: Goal.com
Whilst clearly Arsene Wenger is not known for moves to bring in players over the age of 30 but David Villa is clearly a level of talent that would tempt the Arsenal boss into making an exception.
The former Valencia man is something of a bit-part player at Barcelona, vying for a spot supporting Lionel Messi but more often than not losing out to the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Pedro and even on occasion youngster Cristian Tello, therefore the option to move to the Emirates Stadium may well tempt the Spanish international.
David Villa’s move to Barcelona should have seen the lethal finisher further his career progression after a hugely successful period at the Mestalla but it hasn’t worked that way. The Catalan side paid £33m to sign the striker two and a half years ago and though he has scored fairly regularly he hasn’t hit the same prolific level of form he produced at both Valencia, though his return of 40 goals from 91 appearances is by no means pedestrian.
Arsenal could well do with attacking alternatives and Villa would appear to lead Adrian in Wenger’s pecking order of targets.
Though Theo Walcott has certainly shown he can adequately fill the striking role he clearly hankers for Arsenal could certainly do with alternatives. Olivier Giroud has experienced a patchy spell at the Emirates Stadium thus far and as such a move for a striker must be Arsene Wenger’s priority for this month.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...s-8439097.html
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