David Villa has dropped a bombshell by intimating to Barcelona hierarchies that he wants to leave the Catalan club, boosting hope for Arsenal to try and lure him in the January transfer window.
The Spain international has been left frustrated with the lack of first team opportunities and is looking to quit Nou Camp for regular football.
When the rumours first surfaced in the media, the La Liga giants made it clear that the club would not entertain any loan move for the player but could consider the options of a permanent switch.
That prompted Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who is a keen admirer of the player, to usurp that opportunity and step up the chase, even selling some of the unwanted players at the club to generate the necessary funds.
However, Barcelona president Sandro Rosell changed his stance and revealed that the player won’t be sold in mid-season. Even, the club’s director of football, Andoni Zubizarreta highlighted the importance of keeping key players at the club in January refusing to consider Villa’s case as an exception.
The ball was left to roll on Villa’s court, when the 32-year-old thought to use it well to his advantage by meeting the club chiefs and letting know that he wants to move elsewhere.
The striker, with a moniker El Guaje, has featured 22 times for the club in all competitions and has bagged ten goals this season, but since returning from the horrendous injury (broken leg), suffered in the Club World Cup match in Yokohama against Al Sadd, he has lost the favour of his new manager Tito Vilanova.
Arsenal are desperate to bolster their squad in the winter as the club is struggling at sixth in the table with seven points adrift of fourth placed Tottenham.
Though the North London club has yet to formally approach for the player, but certainly they would be encouraged to do so now, especially when the player himself is engineering a plot for an escape route.
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