Tottenham are closing in on the signing of Barcelona striker David Villa, with the two clubs believed to have made a breakthrough in negotiations.

Terms have been agreed between Spurs and the 31-year-old for some time but there has been a problem with the fee, with Barcelona demanding £12m while Tottenham want to pay morelike £8m.

The two clubs are now thought to be close to agreement however as Spurs have agreed to pay an extra performance-related £3m.

It is believed the deal could be finalised in the next 48 hours and Villa announced as a Tottenham player before the end of the week.