Should David Villa still strive to be a Catalan?

It was the end of the 2009-10 season. Barcelona were looking for options to boost their attacking options, after Zlatan Ibrahimovi? and Pep Guardiola found themselves at each others’ throats. Zlatan decided to move to Milan to ply his trade. Barcelona had to find an able replacement to partner Lionel Messi. They went for the silver boot winner in the recently concluded 2010 FIFA World Cup.

They went for the golden striker of Spain. They went for David Villa.

Villa was the top scorer in the World Cup earning the silver boot, losing out to Thomas Muller in the number of assists. They splashed €40 million to sign him from Valencia. The golden boy moved to the golden club of Spain to fulfil his potential and to have a tryst with destiny.

He made his first appearance for the club in the second leg of the Supercopa de Espana, as a substitute for Pedro. His debut appearance saw him win his first piece of silver-ware with the Catalonian side.

Villa settled at Barcelona instantaneously. He scored on his debut for the Catalans in both the La Liga and the Champions League.One of his proudest moments should have been his first Clasico. The striker scored a brace, which saw them thrash their rivals 5-0 at the Camp.

He also scored the final goal in the Champions League final against Manchester United at Wembley. It was a brilliant kick, curled towards the far-post. A keeper as brilliant as Van Der Saar simply had no answer to it, and he sealed the victory for his side enabling them to lift the trophy.

He bagged 23 goals for Barcelona in all competitions, helping them to another League triumph and their second Champions League title in three years in his debut season.

His second season saw him help the Catalans seal the Spanish Supercopa against Madrid, where he scored a world class goal in the first leg. Villa just avoided being caught offside by the Real Madrid defence when Lionel Messi passed the ball to him and after taking a few steps closer to Iker Casillas, he unleashed an unstoppable shot inside the far post.

However, he broke his tibia in the FIFA Club World Cup match against Al Sadd, which saw him miss the remainder of the season with Barcelona and Spain.

He finished the season with 24 appearances and 9 goals for Barca in all competitions.

Villa returned to play after eight months. He came as a substitute in his first match post injury, and it took him just seven minutes to find the net. He also made his impact felt in the Champions League stages where he netted the crucial goal against Milan and assisted one against PSG, which saw them progress to the semi-finals.

But, after his return from injury, Villa found his appearances restricted, with a majority of them coming from the bench. He still managed to amass 16 goals in all competitions at a rate of a goal for every 125 minutes.

Now the question which bothers everybody: Should Villa still strive to be a Catalan or does he need to move on?

“El Guaje” has already found playing time limited after his return from injury, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Tello preferred ahead of him. Meanwhile, Barcelona has also successfully pursed its obsessive chase for the Brazillian forward Neymar Jr.

Villa still has a lot to offer but it is evident with Neymar, Sanchez and other young talents, he will find his playing options even more limited. Spain’s all-time top goalscorer is hardly a player with a calibre to warm the bench. If Villa decides to end his romance with Barcelona, he could achieve instant stardom at any club he moves to.

With the transfer window about to begin and a bevy of clubs all interested in securing his services, he should definitely give it a thought. It is time for David Villa to rise up from the ashes and fulfil his potential.