David Villa: "I Want To Win The Champions League."

New Barcelona signing David Villa has commented that he has joined the club when he is at the peak of his career, and has a desire to prove his worth to the Blaugrana faithful.

The former Valencia man put pen to paper on a four-year deal, costing Barcelona €40 million, and ‘El Guaje’ reckons he is joining the Primera Division champions at precisely the right time.

Marca comments that the 28-year old said: “I am joining Barcelona at the best moment of my career. 28 years of age is the best age for a footballer.

“The competition here will help me improve. I am aware of the great level of class there is here, because the best players are playing here.”

Villa also passed comment on new coach Pep Guardiola, insisting that the players hold the coach in very high regard.

He added: “The team-mates have spoken very highly of him, they say everyone has improved with him as a coach, and he makes the players feel comfortable playing football.

“My objective is to win the Champions League, because I have never came close to getting it.”

Messi The Leading Scorer In The Champions League

With the European season coming to its end at the Bernabeu on Saturday night, Leo Messi, already crowned as Spain and Europe’s top scorer, was also confirmed as the leading marksman of this year’s Champions League.

Messi had already equalled Ronaldo’s record 34 league goals for the club and won the Golden Boot Award with 68 points and after Saturday’s win for Inter in Madrid, he was also confirmed as the leading scorer in this year’s Champions League for the second year running with a total of eight goals.
 
Olic draws a blank in final
The only player with any realistic chance of beating Messi in the competition was Bayern’s Ivica Olic, who’d scored seven going into the final, but the massive Inter defence and their Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar kept him out and left him in joint second place with Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
 
Opener at Nou Camp
Messi opened his scoring in this year’s competition with the second goal in Barca’s 2-0 win over Dynamo Kiev at the Nou Camp and was on target again in the return game in the Ukraine, bagging the winning goal in the 1-2 victory after Xavi had opened the scoring and in the last 16 he scored twice in the team’s 4-0 win over Stuttgart.
 
Four against Arsenal
It was in the quarter final against Arsenal that Messi really shone, scoring all four goals in the 4-1 win over the Gunners at the Nou Camp, after Wenger’s team had actually gone one up.

Ibra DOESN'T Wanna Go To Premier League

Barcelona star Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he will not be moving to England this summer, despite rumours of a switch to London or Manchester.

The powerful forward has been part of the Catalan giants' title-winning campaign, but has not always seemed to fit in with the swift-interchanging, high-tempo pressing game favoured by manager Pep Guardiola.

David Villa has already signed for next season, fuelling reports that the Swede will move on before next season.

He had been touted as part of an exchange deal with Arsenal for Cesc Fabregas, while Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are all believed to be in the market for a high-profile striker, but none of these destinations now seem likely.

The 28-year-old told Swedish lifestyle magazine Café: "England doesn't feel close. I don't like rain."

A return to his old club Malmo is also out, with the striker intending to finish his playing career abroad.

He did suggest he would be open to a coaching role after retirement, but was not drawn further on the matter.

"Football will always be in my heart, it is a part of me, but I will not make any guest appearances in the Allsvenka, not as an active player at least," he added.

"Maybe I can contribute my knowledge to Swedish football in some other way."

Barcelona Interested In Javi Martinez

Barcelona have joined the race for Athletic Bilbao starlet Javi Martinez, according to reports from Spain.

Publication Sport comments that the midfielder, who made Vicente del Bosque’s 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa, is being monitored by Blaugrana coach Pep Guardiola, who has shown interest in the player’s abilities.

The 21-year old is currently the Spanish under-21 captain, and will also be travelling with the senior squad to this summer’s showpiece event.

He made 45 appearances for the Basque side this season, and his displays have alerted the likes of Real Madrid, and in particular Manchester City.

Martinez has a €30 million buy-out clause in his contract, and it is likely any potential suitors will need to meet that valuation if they are to persuade Bilbao to part with their prized asset.

The skilful midfielder moved to San Mames from Osasuna in the summer of 2006 for a fee of €6m, and has became a pivotal part of coach Joaquin Caparros’ successful side, which reached the Copa del Rey final in 2009 and enjoyed a Europa League campaign this season.

Yaya Toure Almost Ready To Leave To Chelsea

The future of Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure continues to be the subject of much discussion, and the Ivorian's agent has now stoked the flames after he revealed that his client has almost made his mind up to leave.

With the likes of Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Seydou Keita ahead of Toure in Pep Guardiola's pecking order, Dmitri Seluk believes that the best move for all concerned is to allow the 27-year-old to leave for the Premier League.

"If Chelsea want Yaya and everyone wins with this deal, why not?" the agent told the Daily Mirror.

"This last season, Toure has not played regularly and Pep Guardiola has preferred Busquets or Keita instead of him.

"If he prefers Busquets and Keita, then the best thing for Toure is to leave for Chelsea. He has made up his mind 90 per cent to leave."

In addition to the new English champions, Toure has been linked with a transfer to Arsenal as part of a deal that would take Cesc Fabregas back to Catalunya. It has been reported that the midfielder was unwilling to make the move, but his representative insists that Toure is not digging his heels in over a transfer.

"He has a good salary here but he doesn't want to earn money here and fall asleep on the bench. Some players would accept that situation. Not him. If he leaves, Barca will then understand what they will lose."

Manchester Drop Torres Bid

Manchester City have left Barcelona and Chelsea to fight for the £70 million signature of Fernando Torres after their failure to secure Champions League football.

The big-spending outfit have the resources to go toe-to-toe with their rivals due to owner Sheikh Mansour's bottomless wealth. According to The Guardian, important figures within the club have acknowledged that the lack of top-level European football has dropped them out of the running to prise the Spaniard from Liverpool.

City finished in fifth place in the Premier League last season after they targeted a top-four finish. Torres is understood to only be prepared to leave Merseyside for one of Europe's traditional elite.