David Villa

ATLETICO MADRID have beaten Tottenham in the race to sign David Villa.

Barcelona have agreed a deal with their La Liga rivals to sell the Spanish striker for a bargain £4.4million.

Spurs had been the favourites to land Villa, 31, after he was deemed surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp.

A club statement read: “FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of the player David Villa to the Madrid club.”

Atletico added on Twitter: “The agreement and the signing of Villa as a new player at Atletico will be formalised after the player has taken a medical.”

Villa began his career at Sporting Gijon before moving on to Real Zaragoza and then Valencia in 2005.

He joined Barcelona in 2010 but fell down the pecking order under boss Tito Vilanova last term.

The £20m arrival of Neymar meant Villa’s days at the Catalan giants were numbered and the hitman was keen to play regular football ahead of next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

He will now fill the boots of Radamel Falcao at Atletico, with the Colombian striker having moved to Monaco in May.

One of Villa’s first official games for his new club could be against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup next month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HD