Barcelona agree terms to sell David Villa to Atletico Madrid

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