Transfer Talk: Tottenham 'Open Talks' With David Villa

Tottenham 'Open Talks' With David Villa

David Villa has won it all despite a chequered three seasons with Barcelona and the time has apparently come for him to move to the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur, to be exact.

The Mail come bearing the good news for Spurs fans still smarting from Arsenal usurping them again, suggesting Villa would cost £10 million.

Another one of Pep Guardiola's dubious buys for Barcelona, Villa has been wasted by the Primera Liga champions, who shifted him from striker to winger to accommodate Lionel Messi.

A broken leg in the 2011-12 season has seen him lose his place as a regular for the Blaugrana, who paid Valencia £34.2m for him in 2010. He is also in the final year of his contract.

Arsenal or Tottenham?

Villa, at 31, would be a cunning buy for Tottenham. A proven goalscorer for club and country with a winning mentality, he would be a quality - and belated - striking addition for a club whose miserliness in January contributed to their failure to finish fourth.

Leandro Damião, often linked with a transfer to White Hart Lane, is also back on the radar, the Mail add.

After João Moutinho and James Rodríguez arrived in Monaco, Marca say Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdés and Atlético Madrid goal machine Radamel Falcao will be joining them in the principality.

France's Sport 24 suggests Ricardo Carvalho, ostracised by Real Madrid, could also join the recently-promoted Ligue 1 side.

Thibaut Courtois, one of European football's best goalkeepers, wants to stay at Atlético Madrid for another year before returning to Chelsea, say the Metro.

Courtois has been outstanding for Atléti

That Chelsea tried to sign Jack Butland in January is perhaps an indication of their lack of vigilance concerning Courtois' development. He has won Europa League and Copa del Rey winner's medals with Atléti and his display in the latter final this month was one of the finest custodian performances of the season.

Just to give you some perspective of the predicament of signing for Chelsea only to be farmed out on loan, Courtois joined the Blues when André Villas-Boas had just been announced as new coach. When José Mourinho returns this summer, four managers will have occupied the post in that time. No wonder he seems reluctant to come back.

Queens Park Rangers' nomadic maverick Adel Taarabt could finally be on his way out of Loftus Road. United Arab Emirates side Al Ain are plotting a move, write the Mirror.

One-time maverick Andrei Arshavin is a target for former club Zenit St Petersburg. Arsenal fans will be pleased to know his contract is up in a matter of days.

And Andreas Weimann may have been overshadowed by the indomitable Christian Benteke but a decent season with Aston Villa has compelled them to reward the Austrian with a pay rise.

Weimann scored 12 goals for Villa

Newcastle United, Sunderland and Norwich City are all allegedly keen to break up his partnership with Benteke.

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