LIVERPOOL last night bid £17million for Gareth
Barry and told Aston Villa: That’s our final offer. The package is
£15m now plus £2m in potential add-ons. Villa manager Martin
O’Neill has told the England midfielder he can go but has demanded
£18m for his services.
The latest offer is a considerable jump from the £12m
which was originally on the table. And with Villa skipper Barry
determined to quit, O’Neill may be left with little option but to
accept Liverpool’s bid.
SunSport exclusively revealed Kop boss Rafa Benitez had
moved to sign Barry. We also told how the star had urged O’Neill to
let him go and that his big mate Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool
skipper, was begging him to make the switch to Anfield.
Barry, 27, has slammed O’Neill — saying the Irishman
was working as a TV pundit during Euro 2008 yet could not be
bothered to ring him. He added: “There’s no going back, it’s time
for me to move.” Villa would collect a £15m fee with the further
£2m depending on Liverpool’s Premier League position during the
length of Barry’s proposed five-year contract.