Arsenal miss out on their dream Villa in Spain

David Villa is a target for Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona

Any lingering hopes Arsenal fans had of capturing Spain’s star striker David Villa have died, with the Valencia man’s transfer market price rising in the millions since his hat-trick against Russia.

That was followed by the winner against Sweden, and Valencia are now in an incredibly strong bargaining position. Los Che are set to ask for up to 40million euros for the former Zaragoza man, ruling out Arsenal who are again to avoid investing huge sums on a single player.

Barcelona, Chelsea and Liverpool now lead the chase for Villa’s signature. Barça are thought to be favourites, and with the likes of Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho heading for the exit, the club are looking for a new forward to lead the line and have identified Villa as their main target.

Villa has also told the News of the World that Chelsea and Liverpool interest him. Chelsea are ready to hand new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari an open chequebook while Liverpool’s level of funds is unclear following the splurge a year ago by Rafa Benítez. They would likely hold sway, however, as Villa is close friends with Pepe Reina and has demonstrated at Euro 2008 his great affinity for Fernando Torres. The pair have also formed a fantastic partnership for country.

Failing to capture Villa will leave Arsenal supporters disappointed, especially with Emmanuel Adebayor rumoured to be on the move and Cesc Fàbregas publicly stating that he would like his compatriot to join the club. Gunners fans responded positively to the quotes attributed to Villa last season, when the 26-year-old stated that Arsenal would be his preferred destination. However, with the North London side unwilling to splash the cash, Villa has turned his attention to two other members of the big four.

The bidding war for Europe’s most wanted striker is set to commence upon the end of the European Championships. With Valencia cash-strapped, the highest bid will be accepted despite the club’s obvious wish to keep him. With Villa’s departure virtually guaranteed, the only lingering question is over which of the top destinations El Guaje will eventually select.