Spanish striker set to remain at the Camp Nou.
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Barcelona have moved to dismiss reports regarding a possible exit for striker David Villa according to talkSport.
The Spanish forward struggled to hold down a place in the Barcelona side earlier in the season after returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines following a broken leg.
Villa returned to emphatic form for the Catalan giants on Tuesday night however, scoring his side’s crucial third goal on their way to a 4-0 victory over AC Milan in the Champions League.
That result was enough to overturn a two goal deficit from the first leg and send Barcelona into the quarter-finals of the tournament.
It now appears that Villa has re-cemented his place in the team and looks set to remain with the Catalan giants.
The player was strongly linked with a move to the Premier League during the January transfer window. Early reports suggested the player might link up with the considerable Spanish contingent at Michael Laudrup’s Swansea before Arsenal were rumoured to be showing a firm interest in the player.
Barcelona’s sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has moved to play down the speculation saying it would be almost impossible to replace the 32-year old in the current market.
Speaking about the former Valencia star, Zubizaretta said, ‘We do not usually comment on anything. We spoke and talked with him and his representative. There is nothing concrete.
‘The market is not what it was a couple of years ago; we cannot find solutions as we did before. Villa has goals, a feel for the game, end product and aspirations.’