Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United chase David Villa

Liverpool target sparks United & Chelsea 'transfer stampede'

Barcelona striker David Villa will spark interest from a quintet of Premier League club when he sits down for talks with manager Pep Guardiola, according to The Express.

The Spanish World Cup winner was left out of the Barca team to face Real Madrid, restricted to a substitute appearance during the 3-1 El Classico win.

Villa is expected to question his role at the Nou Camp, and is prepared to instruct his agents to find him a move to England.

Liverpool have previously been linked with an unlikely bid for the striker, but reports suggest that Chelsea and Manchester United are now interested, with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Anfield club are expected to have the edge in the race for Villa, with goalkeeper Pepe Reina on good terms with the 30-year-old.

But while The Reds have been heavily linked with Villa, it's Chelsea and United who are expected to be put on alert.

Chelsea may be keen to bring in Villa to partner with misfiring Fernando Torres, hoping the pair can replicate their international form in the Premier League.

In the short term, a move for Villa would provide fruitful for United, with Javier Hernandez out injured for the second time this season, and Dimitar Berbatov, who is also out injured, likely to leave the club in the near future.

A stumbling block for the trio may be the asking price for Villa, with the catalans likely to demand a significant portion of the £40 million they shelled out for him in 2010.

Teammate Seydou Keita has also been heavily linked with Liverpool, but with Luis Suarez working overtime to keep Kenny Dalglish's side in the hunt for the top four, the Scot may be tempted to recruit some reinforcements.

Villa says no to Liverpool as Spain star vows to fight for his future at Barcelona

David Villa has distanced himself from speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool.
The Barcelona man insists he is happy in Spain despite reports to the contrary in which it is said he has fallen out with Nou Camp star man Lionel Messi.
It is only Villa's second season with the European champions following his £40million switch from Valencia.
And Spain's all-time leading goalscorer has at times struggled playing second fiddle in attack to his Argentine team-mate.
However responding to speculation about his future, the 30-year-old insisted he has no intention of quitting the club.
'I feel important, and even more so when the manager speaks well of me,' he said. 'I've always had the affection of team-mates and especially the public. I noticed it since the day I arrived. So it’s not vital that I score.

'I don’t give any importance to what is said outside the club. I don’t have to be worried about all of this, it’s all the same to me. I work so that the manager, my colleagues, the fans and my family are happy, and that’s the case.'

Liverpool's desire to lighten to the goal-burden on Luis Suarez is likely to see them enter the transfer market in January, having seen £35m man Andy Carroll fail to live up to expectation.