Villarreal in Advanced Talks for Dos Santos Transfer

Reports are linking Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Giovani dos Santos to a move to La Liga side Villarreal. La Liga side Granada CF has also been linked with a move for Gio. Villarreal have acknowledged such a move may be in the works.

"The negotiations are well on the way and it seems like the player wants to come to Villarreal," said Villarreal vice president Jose Manuel Llaneza. "The deal is not finalized, but we expect a solution by the weekend. Villarreal needs more attacking players."

Dos Santos, 22, has been at White Hart Lane since 2008 since arriving from Barcelona in a €6 million. Dos Santos has since failed to to establish himself with Spurs, only making 14 total appearances for the club while failing to tally a goal. His time early in the club was marked by unsuccessful loans to Ipswich Town and Galatasaray.

The Mexican International though has proven himself in different avenues. Dos Santos has become a star in international competition for his native country, leading El Tricolor to win the 2005 U-17 World Cup, two CONCACAF Gold Cups, and was runner up for Young Player of the 2010 World Cup.

Gio is also highly regarded in Spain, due to his Barcelona roots and successful loan to Racing Santander last season. It seems a Spanish move may be the thing to help dos Santos jump start his career, as the talented attacker was never quite able to adjust to the physicality and defensive responsibility of the English game. A potential move to a struggling Villarreal side would set up Gio well for the future, getting the chance to play with talented attackers like Giuseppe Rossi and Jonathan de Guzman

For Tottenham, it would end the chapter on one of the more disappointing players in the club's history. Dos Santos arrived with huge expectations and the belief that he would earn a large sell-on fee. But it seems a potential dos Santos move will give Spurs no financial gain, and perhaps even a loss.