Dynamic duo: David Silva (left) and David Villa
could now be on their way out of Valencia
Manchester United are closing in on a £40million double
swoop for David Villa and David Silva after Valencia admitted they
are prepared to sell. Sir Alex Ferguson has been tracking the the
Spanish pair for some time but no deal could be struck in the
summer.
But as United continue to struggle in the absence of the
departed Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferguson needs to find a world-class
source of goals - and could be ready to splash a large chunk of the
£80m he got from Real Madrid.
United are operating with just three established strikers in
Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen.
But they could soon have new team-mates as cash-strapped
Valencia desperately need to raise money.
And club director Fernando Gomez told Spanish TV last night:
"The club made a great effort to keep our players this summer but
our economic situation remains very serious.
"It was a success to keep them, but there comes a point when you
can't stand it anymore. We may have to sell Villa."
Fergie is keen to bring his quota of experienced forwards to
four with Villa, 27, who shot to the top of the United manager's
wanted list after Euro 2008, in which he finished top scorer.
And Villa's team-mate Silva, 23, is seen as the man to add some
flair and dynamism to United's midfield, with veterans Ryan Giggs
and Paul Scholes nearing the end of their careers.
Although United were confident they could take advantage of
Valencia's financial problems in the summer and land Villa and
Silva on the cheap, they were ultimately thwarted in their double
pursuit.
Fergie was critical of the inflated market in Europe last season
and refused to pay over the odds for his targets, which included
Karim Benzema, who went to Real Madrid for £35m.
But with Valencia now ready to do business and United still in
possession of three-quarters of the Ronaldo money, a deal looks
likely.
Fergie also has around £25m that was set aside by United to
conclude a permanent deal to sign Carlos Tevez, which fell through
when the striker decided to join Manchester City.