David Villa explains why he did not join Real Madrid | OneFootball

David Villa has revisited his aborted 2009 switch to Real Madrid, reflecting on the negotiations during his prolific Valencia spell.

"Honestly, I do not really know what happened at the last moment. Every summer it was Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona. I have an agent who does the work and I am very respectful. Nobody put a gun to my head to sign a contract with a €150 million clause. What happened? I do not know, because it was a negotiation between clubs," he told José Ramón de la Morena’s Resonancia de Corazón podcast.

"When it is signed, we will look at everything. I was calm, they told me there were negotiations, then I was told Valencia had pulled back and I would not be leaving. I said, fine, then I am not leaving. When does pre-season start? Maybe I was wrong, I do not know, but you cannot change who you are."

In 2009 he was among Europe’s most coveted forwards, while Real Madrid began a rebuild with signings including Xabi Alonso, Kaká, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Villa scored 129 goals in 225 games for Valencia across five seasons, winning the 2007-08 Copa del Rey and four Zarra trophies as LaLiga’s leading Spanish scorer.

He left Mestalla in 2010 for Barcelona and later struck five goals at the 2010 World Cup, scoring against Honduras, Chile, Portugal and Paraguay as Spain won their first star.

Source: Superdeporte