Villanueva Off To Dubai

Chilean star Carlos Villanueva is set to depart Blackburn at the end of the season and move to Dubai.

Ex-Rovers boss Paul Ince was the one to get him into Ewood Park in the summer but his Ewood career has suffered when the change of manager kicked in during December.

After taking charge new boss Sam Allardyce has used the midfielder on and off, playing him in just eight league matches in total with one start.

Now Blackburn have passed up the option to solidify his move and he has swiftly looked elsewhere.

The permit granted last summer was for Blackburn and Blackburn only and could not be transferred. it also would of been difficult to attain a new one for the UK as his international fortunes have wained.

Therefore Villanueva has now agreed a move to Dubai-based club Al Shabab.

The deal is a permanent one and is worth around £3million, £2 million less than Blackburn had a deal for anyway. Rovers were unlikely to pay that sort of money for a player on the peripheral anyway.

Al Shabab director Khalid Hamid confirmed that a deal for Villanueva had been agreed.

Hamid, speaking to a local rag said -‘Villanueva is an exciting young player with superb technical skills,’

‘He was the best player in Chile before his move to Blackburn, where he has not been given the opportunities he deserved.

‘He was probably encouraged by his countryman Jorge Valdivia (Al Ain’s attacking midfielder) to accept the offer.

‘The chance of working with coach Toninho Cerezo also convinced him to take up the offer.’