Just as England star Gareth Barry appears to be getting back to
his best in an Aston Villa shirt, reports of another mega bid for
his services have surfaced.
Liverpool's pursuit of Barry was one of the many high-profile
transfer sagas of the summer past and one that left a bitter taste
in many mouths.
Villa boss Martin O'Neill fought tooth and nail to fight off the
advances of Reds manager Rafael Benitez, eager to show Liverpool
that his side were not a feeder for the established big four.
The relationship between Barry and MON subsequently deteriorated
and the midfielder was stripped of the captain's armband. Benitez
himself was left dazed and confused, the Spaniard not used to being
rebuffed.
However, Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari thinks he can take on
fiesty O'Neill in January, according to reports.
The Brazilian boss is ready to bring in the New Year with a £17m
bid as he looks to bring more of England's elite talent to Stamford
Bridge.
Hurting after Sunday's home loss at the hands of the Reds, Scolari
wants to flex his transfer market muscles as the title race starts
to gather momentum.
Hinting at imminent activity, Scolari told Sky Sports:
"The players I have at the moment are good, but I want more English
players in my team in order to win in England."
Thus, Barry could soon be linking up with Frank Lampard and not
Steven Gerrard as previously seemed inevitable.