Liverpool look set to sign Gareth Barry after all
as Aston Villa have agreed to give them until the end of August to
finally wrap up the deal.
Villa had hoped the Barry saga was over on Wednesday when
Liverpool missed an agreed deadline to make an acceptable offer for
the England midfielder.
But after a further meeting with the player and his agent,
Martin O'Neill has reluctantly accepted that Barry's proposed
switch to Anfield could now go ahead.
O'Neill said: "We had a meeting last Monday with Gareth and his
agent at which we all agreed we would have a 5pm deadline on
Wednesday and if Liverpool had not proved they had the wherewithal
to proceed with the transfer then we would all leave that aside and
go on with it.
"I was hoping that would be the case and this was not a matter
of Liverpool missing a deadline by 15 minutes, as seems to have
been reported.
"Liverpool first showed their interest in signing Gareth Barry
almost four months ago, so this is not a case of missing the
deadline by 15 minutes - that's simply not true.
"The following morning we were upbeat on the strength of what
had happened on Wednesday evening. We were very buoyant and
optimistic that everything could come back to normal again.
"That wasn't to be though. On Thursday there was a meeting
between Gareth's agent, myself and the player.
"They still felt that even though the deadline had passed they
still felt Liverpool were going to come in and do the deal.
"Obviously I was disappointed to hear that. Gareth's head is a
bit all over the place at the moment and they asked for some more
time."
He continued: "I listened to what they've said and I'll go with
it - reluctantly but I'll go with it.
"There will be no deadline and Liverpool have all the time in
the world now to sign Gareth Barry. They've got up to the normal
window, which is the 31st of this month."
Barry, 27, had made it clear at the end of last season that he
wanted to make the switch to Anfield to experience playing
Champions League football and link up with his close friend Steven
Gerrard, who was "desperate" for the move to materialise.
The player was subsequently booed by a section of the Villa
support in their pre-season friendly at Walsall but received a
standing ovation in their Intertoto Cup match against Odense.
O'Neill had hoped on Wednesday that after Liverpool failed to
meet the deadline that the issue was "closed" but it appears
Barry's camp have forced his hand.
The Villa manager has accepted that he does not want a player at
the club whose heart is elsewhere and has decided to let the saga
come to a conclusion by allowing the transfer to proceed.
"I have a football club to run and I really do want people who
want to play for us," O'Neill told Villa's official website.
"Really it is up to them, Gareth and his agent to sort it out.
I've decided this is the only way forward for us really.
"If Liverpool at their end of it all do not come up with the
money, that's no-one else's fault but their own.
"I'd be delighted if that was the case and Gareth stayed. But I
would doubt that very much. The ball is very much in their
court."
O'Neill made it clear he was not intending to drop the price to
speed up the deal, especially as Liverpool had managed to rustle up
£18million to buy Robbie Keane from Spurs.
He said: "It seems they can find money for another player who
wasn't in the equation certainly four months ago and certainly two
months ago."
Barry refused to comment after spending all 90 minutes of
Villa's 1-1 friendly draw at Reading on the bench.
He said: "I have been told not to say anything."