2) David Villa: Valencia to Barcelona – £34m
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Having spent years at Valencia and made a name for himself with Los Che and the Spain squad, David Villa had been linked with a number of clubs almost every summer – including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. But almost every year, Valencia’s finances decided his fate.
Ultimately, the €40m bid from Barcelona proved too good to turn down and Villa was on his way to the Camp Nou. After receiving his favourite no.7 shirt, Villa would pull up his socks and do what he did best – score goals.
Playing alongside Lionel Messi made Barcelona a team to be feared and it was only an untimely leg injury that saw his career stall. His final season saw him come off the bench more often and Barca soon allowed him to move on. However, he had one last hurrah with Atletico Madrid in the 2013/14 title triumph with 13 goals.
