Barcelona open to Villa approach
Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 2:55 AM | by Jack Johnson 
Despite claiming earlier in the year that David Villa was not for sale, Barcelona now say they will not block a move if the 31-year-old wishes to leave, says The Metro.
Villa has struggled to make much of an impact at the Camp Nou this year, scoring seven goals in his 17 league appearances as the Catalan look in vain for a reliable goalscorer whose name isn’t Lionel Messi.
It seems they have decided Villa is no longer a vital part of the side and if a sufficient bid is received and the Spanish international really wants to leave then he could well be off in the summer.
‘The coaches hope he is here next season but we will not retain any player that is uncomfortable. In that case, we will talk to him to seek a solution,” said the club’s vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Arsenal were reportedly close to agreeing a deal for Villa in January and if Arsene Wenger has retained his interest in Spain’s all-time top goalscorer then a summer move looks likely.
A move to the Emirates could also mean a return to his preferred central striking role for Villa who has usually found himself deployed on the left of a front three at Barcelona due to the rather immovable object that is Messi occupying the central berth. Presumably Wenger would prefer to have a man with well over 300 career goals leading his line than Theo Walcott anyway.
Jack Johnson
