Franco Baldini to hold talks with David Villa

According to The Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur director Franco Baldini is set to open up transfer talks with Barcelona striker David Villa. Spurs have been reported to be interested all summer, but a deal hasn't yet materialized. This could be due to Baldini not being appointed until recently, Villa's massive wages or Tottenham not being particularly interested. It's anyone's guess!

Of course, Villa is in Brazil for the Confederations Cup, and even if Spain do not beat Italy in their semifinal, he'll be there until the weekend. That makes the timing of the Mail's declaration that they'll talk "before the end of the week" a bit curious, but surely Villa has representatives in Europe who he'd let have a sit-down with Spurs.

If you're new to this transfer saga, David Villa makes well into the six figures per week and doesn't seem to be interested in taking a pay cut to leave Barcelona. The Catalans seem like they're on the fence about whether or not they'll sell him, but since he's aging and not a first choice player, they'll almost certainly let him go for a reasonable fee.