Sky Sports claim to have been told directly by Arsenal that the Gunners are not trying to sign David Villa from Barcelona.

The Spanish international striker is reportedly unhappy at the Camp Nou due to a lack of regular first-team action, following his return from a lengthy injury absence.

While Villa was recovering from a bad leg break, Barca evolved a strikerless formation, in which Lionel Messi has thrived to score an unimaginable number of goals.

And so while Villa is one of the best poachers in world football, even he has found it hard to break into Tito Vilanova’s first-team plans at Barca.

There have been reports that ‘El Guaje’ has requested a January move away from Barca, and that Arsenal would love to have him at the Emirates.

However, according to Sky, Arsenal “are not in talks with Barcelona to sign David Villa.”

Villa did manage to play the full 90 minutes of Barca’s 5-1 thrashing of Osasuna last weekend, and so there may light at the end of his Camp Nou tunnel.

And earlier in the transfer window, Barca president Sandro Rosell insisted the former Valencia star would not be sold.

"I completely rule out the transfer of Villa during the winter market," Rossell said.

"He is ours and we need him, there is a lot of the season left."