"Villa enigma" approaches an end (Feature)

By Sebastian Fest Jun 17, 2009, 19:14 GMT

Bloemfontein, South Africa - David Villa had many reasons to be happy Wednesday, but he was not exactly smiling after scoring a goal that booked Spain's place in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

A low look, earphones in place, and a quick pace alongside a Spanish federation press official: that was the picture of the Valencia striker after the game. Indeed, in recent days, Villa keeps remembering his love of music every time he sees a reporter.

'I am calm. I have made a decision, my agent knows it and I am calm, there is no deadline.'

Those were the words that a Spanish television interviewer got off Villa minutes after Wednesday's game. And that was all.

Will Villa play for Real Madrid or Barcelona? Will it be Manchester United or Chelsea? The footballer's agent had turned off his phone after Spain's 1-0 win over Iraq in the South African city of Bloemfontein.

Stuck in a major financial crisis, Valencia are willing to trade off the 28-year-old forward for as much money as they can get. And Villa's performances in the Confederations Cup are pushing up his price by the day.

On Wednesday, in a boring, lacklustre game from Spain, Villa scored the winning header in the 55th minute. That was his 30th goal with the national team, to beat Fernando Hierro in the records. Now, he only stands behind Raul, who scored 44 goals in the Spain jersey but who has now not worn it for two years and looks unlikely to return.

Pressure on Villa - a man who is usually shy and does not speak much - is huge in South Africa. While most of his team-mates enjoy the Confederations Cup in the full knowledge of where they will play next season, Villa is handling uncertainty thousands of kilometres away from where his future is being decided.

And yet Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is sure that his striker is not suffering because of the stress.

'He is fine, he is very interested (in national team duty) and he is training very well, there is no problem with him.'

However, defender Carlos Marchena - a team-mate of Villa's at Valencia - admits that things could be better for the striker.

'Uncertainty is not pleasant for anyone,' Marchena said Wednesday.

Under the headline 'Europe's most wanted,' the British magazine Four Four Two devoted several pages of its June edition to explaining why English clubs should empty their bank accounts to sign the best striker in the world.

The unknown around Villa's future gets mixed up with debate on what Manchester United will do with the 94 million euros (131 million dollars) it will obtain from Real Madrid in exchange for Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique - formerly with United himself - has few doubts as to what the Old Trafford club will do.

'Now they have loads of money and, without a doubt, they will sign a good player.'

And that could of course be Villa.