The Silly Season

By: Cesar | June 16th, 2009

While six of Our Beloved Valencia CF players ply their trade in South Africa for the Spanish national team at the Confederations Cup, we’re left to wonder how many of them will still be VCF players when they come back.

Many will turn their attention to star striker David Villa.

Of course, why wouldn’t you?

Ok, that cheesy ‘I am Legend’ video aside, Villa is the world’s top striker and our biggest footballing asset. But what to do, what to do?

If you’re gullible, you probably believed the Madrid press and MARCA, who said Villa was signed, sealed and delivered, Photoshopped to death on their cover with the Merengue kit on his lean Asturian frame.

Unfortunately, they were wrong. Villa isn’t set to don the white Madrid shirt at the Bernabeu with Florentino Perez and Alfredo Di Stefano flanking him, extolling the striker’s great scoring abilities. Not just yet anyways. First, we have to play the transfer dance … how much are we willing to sell Villa for? How much are Madrid willing to pay?

And will Madrid be where he goes? Could be Barcelona. Could be Manchester United. It could even be Valencia, of all places.

Yesterday, VCF sporting director Fernando Gomez stepped in to clarify any confusion about the Villa saga/soap opera/bad telenovela.

“There are two things that need to be cleared up. First, Valencia have never reached an agreement with anybody for Villa and second, as of right now, there have been no offers that have satisfied us,” he was quoted as saying by El Pais.

“There have been clubs abroad who are interested and they have made their bids, but the player prefers to remain at Valencia.

“In any case, it will be up to the president [Manuel Llorente] and the council to decide whether or not he leaves and determine what transfer fee is satisfactory.”

FC Barcelona are reportedly set to make an official €50 million offer, €40m in cash plus Martin Caceres and Bojan Krkic (on loan), a proposal that easily outmatches Madrid’s €25 million plus Alvaro Negredo bid.

Today, Real Madrid sporting director/cheerleader Jorge Valdano, a former VCF coach, piped in and tried not to appear smug, which is impossible for a man of his caliber.

“If Barca are prepared to offer €50 million, including Bojan and Caceres, for Villa, I would sell if I were Valencia, because we would not be able to arrive at that figure nor are we going to push it,” he said in an interview with Onda Cero and Radio Marca.

This after they spent almost €800 million on Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.

“We’ve been negotiating over the past week, but there were disagreements. It was mainly about money, but later on, there was also the issue of a including a player in the deal and that was causing an inflation. Everything seemed to be well on track but in the end, it all went astray.”

Basically, VCF wasn’t going to be pushed around by the likes of Real Madrid.

So while we’re in debt, need the money and have the chips to sell, we’re not going to be backed into a corner and sell at any price.

That’s the reality of it.

It’s the romantic transfer dance that takes place every summer between competing clubs, where everyone wants to get the most bang for their buck.

Right now, Valdano is the courtier, a rose in his mouth, clapping away while Fernando Gomez circles around, the hem of his dress twirling in the wind, trying to entice the Madrid sporting director into buying Villa for as much money as possible.

It’s an ugly thought …

Expect this transfer saga to go on and on and on and … you get the idea. This isn’t going away any time soon. I’d say by the end of August, we may have a resolution.

Fun, eh?

Today, a ‘fun’ look by goal.com at what VCF should do this summer. It’s interesting …

Who the f**k is Nicolas Fedor?