Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:49 pm**

Valencia Have To Sell Villa Or Silva - Hunter

Spain-based journalist Graham Hunter told Sky Sports News of the dire financial reality that faces Valencia, and explained why Liverpool signing David Villa would not necessarily be all that great for Fernando Torres...

Los Che endured a miserable season in La Liga - coming dangerously close to relegation - and also finished bottom of their Champions League group and faced elimination from Europe outright.

They won the Copa del Rey, but it proved scant consolation for coach Ronald Koeman, whose disaster reign came to an end towards the end of the season when the club wielded the axe.

The club have amassed immense debts and Hunter, speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News, believes that the club will categorically have to sell at least one of their two major stars, David Villa or David Silva.

"Valencia, the club that Rafa knows so well, are €360 million in debt, without the way of getting out of debt that they were relying on," said Hunter.

"They're selling the stadium, they've invested money in players that's gone really, really badly and they were counting on their insurance policy.

"They do need to sell players. Either Silva or Villa need to go this summer in order to clear the debt.

"Valencia are not sustainable in their current position and as such, if there's a deal in the offing - whether it's Silva or Villa I don't know - there needs to be a sale."

Hunter then opened the floor to a potential Liverpool move, recalling that coach Rafael Benitez had attempted to lure the striker to Spain in 2004 before he was eventually snapped up by his former club, Valencia.

"And Liverpool, remember, were the first to try and get David Villa out of Spain when he moved from Zaragoza to Valencia," continued Hunter.

"Rafa Benitez tried to sign him then; long before Crouch and Torres were even heard of at Anfield, and this was the guy that Rafa Benitez first wanted to bring into Anfield as his first Spanish signing."

However, Hunter had words of caution for starry-eyed Kopites hoping for a dream partnership between Villa and Torres, explaining that though their relationship off the pitch is as good as can be, on it, their chemistry does not always result in the Liverpool ace grabbing the goals as freely as he did for Liverpool in his debut season.

"They certainly get on as individual guys, but there is a potential detriment to what we saw [from] Fernando Torres last season," he explained.

"It was interesting to hear the way that Fernando Torres talked in a really professional, grown-up way about having to subjegate himself as the striker to provide for David Villa when in theory, the number 9 was Fernando Torres for Spain and David Villa was the guy that was supposed to link midfield and the supply to Fernando Torres.

"It didn't work like that at all. Torres definitely was the one given the donkey-work to do; the work that he expressly said at the end of the season with Liverpool he was delighted not to be doing anymore.

"He wanted to be the point of attack who was bringing all the goals.

"He said expressly - 'Dirk Kuyt does the work of three men for me at Liverpool; that's why I'm given space, that's why there are channels for Stevie Gerrard to play the ball into my path, that's why I'm scoring so many goals.'

"If the two were reunited at Liverpool, I have to say that we would see a completely different Fernando Torres. Maybe that would be good for the team, because it's not about signing the best goal-scorer in the Premier League for Liverpool, for the fans and Rafa Benitez.

"It's obviously about winning cups and principally the Premier League. So, the Villa-Torres partnership might well be excellent for Liverpool, but it would certainly be, if not detrimental for Fernando Torres, it would change his style of football."

Ray Winston, Goal.com

IMO stop this bad barry deal and put in offor for them both

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:04 pm**

Or, you could believe the exact opposite will happen based on this report:

Valencia opens talks to extend Villa's contract

Valencia are in talks with David Villa over an improved contract, sporting vice president Fernando Gomez has revealed.
Click to learn more...

Spain striker Villa, along with his club and international team-mate David Silva, has attracted interest from a host of teams, with Premier League side Tottenham reported to be lining up a bid for the Euro 2008 winner.

Silva's agent, Julio Llorente, met with Gomez and Valencia president Vicente Soriano on Tuesday night to begin discussions over a new deal for the 22-year-old.

And now Gomez has revealed the club is currently doing the same with Villa.

'Villa's agent has been here and we held the same discussions with him as we had on Tuesday with Silva,' Gomez told Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo.

'We want the player to stay here and tomorrow we're going to continue the discussions.'

He added: 'Both players are very close to staying.'

Villa's agent Jose Luis Tamargo added he and his client had been happy with the initial talks, and insisted that Villa was more than happy to remain with Los Che.

'It's been a satisfactory first meeting and we've got everyone seeing our way of thinking,' Tamargo told Spanish newspaper AS.

'All I can say is that we are all in the same boat, Villa and Valencia.

'David Villa is a Valencia player, he has a contract, and he feels an emotional attachment to the club.

'He's happy at Valencia and always has been, and I hope he continues to be for many more years.'

It is believed Villa has been offered a 500,000 euro increase to his current three million euro deal.

LINK

IMO there's zero chance of us signing either of them this summer. We're virtually skint, both are on the radar of other top clubs with more money to spend and we move far too slowly in transfer negotiations to prise either of these lads away at this late stage.

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:16 pm**

which of you to believe ummm..

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:54 pm**

If they vare 360 million euros in debt and cant service it then they need to do a Leeds and clear everyone out and start again. Selling teh stadium, what does that mean? They rent it? So what happens when they want to expand in 10 years... short sighted policy.

Selling just Silva or Villa wont resolve big issues, just buy them 12 months of interest payments.

As Legs says, I´d kick Halley Barry into touch and buy them both with teh luxury of selling one of them on in 12 months time.

Go get'em Rafa, come to daddy.

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:00 pm**

Bad Bob wrote:IMO there's zero chance of us signing either of them this summer. We're virtually skint, both are on the radar of other top clubs with more money to spend and we move far too slowly in transfer negotiations to prise either of these lads away at this late stage.

what if I were to tell you that we could have David Villa if we sold Kuyt, Bennayoun, Pennant, Voronin, and Itandje? Is that something you might be interested in?

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:14 pm**

JoeTerp wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:IMO there's zero chance of us signing either of them this summer. We're virtually skint, both are on the radar of other top clubs with more money to spend and we move far too slowly in transfer negotiations to prise either of these lads away at this late stage.

what if I were to tell you that we could have David Villa if we sold Kuyt, Bennayoun, Pennant, Voronin, and Itandje? Is that something you might be interested in?

Of course I'd be interested, Joe--never meant to imply that I wouldn't want us to sign either lad.

I just don't see it happening in the next 24 days...certainly not if it requires selling 5 players to raise the cash.

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:28 pm**

Bad Bob wrote:
JoeTerp wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:IMO there's zero chance of us signing either of them this summer. We're virtually skint, both are on the radar of other top clubs with more money to spend and we move far too slowly in transfer negotiations to prise either of these lads away at this late stage.

what if I were to tell you that we could have David Villa if we sold Kuyt, Bennayoun, Pennant, Voronin, and Itandje? Is that something you might be interested in?

Of course I'd be interested, Joe--never meant to imply that I wouldn't want us to sign either lad. I just don't see it happening in the next 24 days...certainly not if it requires selling 5 players to raise the cash.

You would give Parry a heart attack expecting him to do so many deals in less than a month.

At the beginning of the transfer window, Rafa said "Rick ,you concentrate on the Barry transfer and I will sort all the others out".

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:44 pm**

s@int wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:
JoeTerp wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:IMO there's zero chance of us signing either of them this summer. We're virtually skint, both are on the radar of other top clubs with more money to spend and we move far too slowly in transfer negotiations to prise either of these lads away at this late stage.

what if I were to tell you that we could have David Villa if we sold Kuyt, Bennayoun, Pennant, Voronin, and Itandje? Is that something you might be interested in?

Of course I'd be interested, Joe--never meant to imply that I wouldn't want us to sign either lad. I just don't see it happening in the next 24 days...certainly not if it requires selling 5 players to raise the cash.

You would give Parry a heart attack expecting him to do so many deals in less than a month.

At the beginning of the transfer window, Rafa said "Rick ,you concentrate on the Barry transfer and I will sort all the others out".

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:07 pm**

you can make fun of Hicks all you want, but I am sure that if that guy he was touting to take over for Rick was in charge now, you can bet we would have at least off loaded Itandje somewhere . .. . . . . right?

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:09 pm**

Not sure why this article is being posted now, given that it's almost a month old.

Posted: **Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:37 am**

LFC2007 wrote:Not sure why this article is being posted now, given that it's almost a month old.

Cos i found it last night and hadn't seen it here any where and thought people might want to read it.

Tho i don't read into it that much it was flirting with the idea we could get silva or villa which is a nice idea.

Posted: **Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:14 pm**

I don't think villa will leave this season and if he does it would be for an insane offer of around 30 to 40 million and only spurs would bid that high because they have the funds , but than again it's a another thing if villa would want to play for spurs so the only possible option for us is silva , who we could get for 15 million to 17 million if we had the funds

Posted: **Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:36 pm**

This is all well and good but if true someone would have bought 1 of them by now... id love 2 see silva at anfield.... much more than barry, even if he is english

Posted: **Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:42 am**

Hello from spain. I can talk about both players, If you have any questions about Villa or Silva just say, and I'll try to answer it. (with my poor english of course)

Posted: **Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:10 am**

Guitarplayer28 wrote:Hello from spain. I can talk about both players, If you have any questions about Villa or Silva just say, and I'll try to answer it. (with my poor english of course)

Would VILLA join Liverpool.

Liverpool FC Forum

Very good read - Silva - villa any one ?

Very good read - Silva - villa any one ?