Liverpool reportedly want to offer Steve
Finnan to Aston Villa in a final bid to land Gareth Barry for less
than the £18million asking price.
Barry's proposed move to Anfield has been one of the
summer's longest transfer sagas but Martin O'Neill has accepted his
skipper will leave, and has urged his counterpart Rafa Benitez to
stump up the cash and get the deal done.
Liverpool do not want to pay much above £15million, though, and
will now offer Finnan to the Villans to save money for their other
summer targets.
O'Neill is a known admirer of the right-back and has been linked
with a straight cash bid anyway, so Liverpool are hopeful they will
finally be able to take Barry to Anfield.
The News of the World says Finnan will be valued at around
£1.5million in the deal, with Villa due a further £500,000 if the
Reds finish in the top four of the Premier League next season.
A source close to Liverpool said in the newspaper: "There has
been so much haggling in the past week and the mood has been very
tense at times but both sides seem to be close to deal."