Tottenham target Villa set to snub White Hart Lane for Valencia pay rise
Tottenham look set to miss out on £25m-rated Spain Euro 2008 star David Villa after Valencia said the striker was close to signing a new contract at the club.
Spurs are desperate for a forward, with Robbie Keane having joined Liverpool and his former strike partner Dimitar Berbatov wanted by Manchester United. Villa, who netted four goals in four games as Spain ended their silverware drought last month, was thought to be available from cash-strapped Valencia.
But club vice-president Fernando Gomez says the 26-year-old is set to join midfielder and Spain team-mate David Silva in extending their deals.
“Villa’s agent has been here and we held the same discussions with him as we had on Tuesday with Silva,” said Gomez. “We want the player to stay here and tomorrow we’re going to continue the discussions. Both players are very close to staying.”
Villa has also been linked with Real Madrid but his agent Jose Luis Tamargo indicated the player was set to accept a reported pay rise from £45,000-per-week to £53,000-per-week.
“It’s been a satisfactory first meeting and we’ve got everyone seeing our way of thinking,” said Tamargo. “David Villa is happy at Valencia and always has been, and I hope he continues to be for many more years.”