Arsenal have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Barcelona striker David Villa after the Spaniard told club bosses that he wants to quit for regular first team football this month, according to the
Daily Mail. The Spain forward is on the periphery of the Barcelona first team and is keen to join Arsenal having heard of Arsene Wenger's strong interest, who has been chasing the striker since December. The Gunners are in talks with Barcelona and the Premier League club are hopeful that an agreement can be reached for Villa before the end of the month. Barcelona had taken a stern approach to Villa in recent times by insisting he would not be leaving in January, but the player actively asking to leave may weaken their resolve. A sticking point has been the Catalan's
£12 million asking price, and Wenger has baulked at the idea of paying that sort of fee for a 31-year old with no re-sale value. Another option for Wenger is to wait until the summer when Villa would likely be available for just £8 million instead. But by Villa asking to leave, the Gunners will take confidence that they can land their man and bolster their attacking line.