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Well, so much for the David Villa transfer to Tottenham Hotspur being all but done. Where were you on this one, #ITK? FC Barcelona have announced that they have an agreement in principle to sell David Villa to Atletico Madrid. Obviously, after selling Radamel Falcao to AS Monaco, the Rojiblancos have a bit of money to spend on a striker.
If the transfer goes through, Barcelona will receive a fee of €5.1 million, plus 50 percent of Villa's next sale. Because of Villa's age, a 50 percent sell-on clause isn't much of a big deal. It's unlikely that anyone other than a Middle Eastern club pays a big transfer fee for him in a couple of years.
Of course, this is contingent on Villa agreeing personal terms with Atletico Madrid and passing a medical. While Villa has been linked to a move away from Spain and hasn't reportedly agreed to a contract with Atleti at the time of this posting, it's hard to believe that's a stumbling block. If Barcelona are posting this on their website, Villa probably has interest in moving.
If Villa wants to stay in Spain and play Champions League football, a move to Atleti would make sense. However, if he prefers a move to England and Spurs simply won't match that transfer fee and sell-on clause, well ... that's concerning.
Update: It's done, he just needs to pass a medical.
El acuerdo y firma de @Guaje7Villa como nuevo jugador del #Atleti se formalizará una vez que el jugador se someta al reconocimiento médico
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) July 8, 2013
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