Villa clings to his €11 million salary

Posted Sunday, June 09, 2013 by Marca.com

Villa clings to his €11 million salary David Villa is to leave Barcelona this summer, although it will not be an easy deal to seal. The footballer knows he does not feature in Vilanova's plans for next season. He has not played much this year and Neymar's arrival limits his options even further, but the Spanish player has no intention of losing out financially in the move.

When Barcelona signed him, it was for four seasons, until 2014, during which time he would receive a sum of €7.5 million a year. MARCA has discovered, however, that the club accepted the inclusion of a clause by which it is required to pay €11 million to the footballer in his last season.

Barcelona wanted to reward the player's efforts in forcing his exit from Valencia when the club did not want to sell him. That €11 million, however, now poses a problem for all parties involved. Barça cannot shell out such a large amount for a player who will be on the bench and which will make Villa the second highest-paid player in the squad. It will also prove difficult for Villa himself to find a club willing to pay that sum for someone of his age (31) who has had an injury as serious as a fractured tibia.

Villa has offers on the table from the Premier League, Tottenham and Arsenal, but he is not in any hurry to make a decision. The Spanish international will wait until the Confederations Cup is done and dusted to study all the options and come to a decision. He will be looking for a long-term contract to make up for any loss in salary.