Gareth Barry in talks with Manchester City

Aston Villa have confirmed that midfielder Gareth Barry is holding discussions with Premier League rivals Manchester City. Barry has been the subject of widespread transfer speculation since his move to Liverpool collapsed last summer.

The fact that the club have personally announced this news via there official web site and no doubt various news agency’s, is obviously a statement of intent from Villa. Clearly Liverpool’s interest in the player is public knowledge, so this announcement holds a number of purposes. First it could spark a bidding war for the player who only has one year left on his contract. Liverpool where certain they could have signed Barry for a cut price deal. £8m was speculated in the press, a considerable reduction from the £18m valuation that was rejected as “not enough” by Villa last summer. However, Sky Sports News states this afternoon that Barry could move to Manchester City in a £11m deal. O’Neall himself stated recently that “He wouldn’t come cheaply even in this day and age," because the player was an England international, and still ‘only’ 28-years-old.

Barry gave the reason of wanting to play Champions League football when he handed in his transfer request last summer. Although having bags of cash at their disposal Manchester City finished tenth and could be considered a ‘step down’ from sixth place Villa who will be playing in the Europa League next summer.

With Sky Sports News having just announced that the player is undergoing a Medical with Manchester City, and that no other club has placed a bid for the player, this transfer saga could be finished before Liverpool even enter the race.

UPDATE:

City's official website has just posted the news that they have completed the £12m signing of Gareth Barry on a five year deal.

Gareth Barry speculation of the day

The Daily Star is running the story: “Barry: I want to be a Gunner”, however the article appears to be nothing more then speculation from journalist Duncan Wright. It goes on to say "Gareth Barry is holding out for a summer move to Arsenal", but the story fails to attribute quotes from either the player or Arsenal and seems nothing more then a page filler with an attention grabbing headline.

The article goes on to say: “Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is still an admirer, but is not keen on splashing out most of his transfer budget taking him to Anfield. That has left Manchester City and Tottenham hopeful of securing a deal – but it is Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger who is considering a £12m bid for the 28-year-old. Wenger is searching for a dominant midfield player to add to a squad which has plenty of talent but lacks genuine bite, and he has watched Barry several times in the past few months.”

Rafa wants his transfers as soon as possible

Transfer Speculation

Rafa Benitez wants Liverpool’s summer transfer activity to be done and dusted by the time pre-season gets under way says the Echo. “The Reds boss is keen to conclude his business at the earliest possible opportunity in what is expected to be another busy summer at Anfield. Benitez will need to supplement his existing transfer budget with the proceeds from player sales and he is looking to start work on overhauling his squad immediately. But he concedes it won’t be easy to make improvements to what he regards as a high quality squad.”

The article quotes Rafa as saying: “Clearly we want to sign players but we know that it will be difficult to find players who are better than what we already have. It is not easy to find this kind of player in the current market and if we do then maybe they will be too expensive or not available. But we have to sign the right players and make the right decisions during the summer. We have some targets but right now it is too soon because some clubs do not know what the future holds for them but we will wait and see. But our idea is to have players signed before pre-season begins because this would be perfect. It means you can start working with them and training with them with the ideas that you want to get across to them so that they can start putting them into practice on the pitch.”

The article also goes on to say “Gareth Barry remains Benitez’s major target and with Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill admitting he will not stand in the England man’s way should a top four club make an acceptable offer for him Liverpool’s move for the 28-year-old is likely to come sooner rather than later. O’Neill is reported to be ready to offer Barry a lucrative new deal in a bid to keep his captain at Villa Park but with the midfielder keen to play Champions League football such overtures are likely to fall on deaf ears.”

Also mentioned in the piece is Madrid’s pursuit of Alonso. It may be a concern that the Echo is taking this rumour seriously, as they often report accurate information. The article states: “the likelihood of Real Madrid making an offer for Xabi Alonso has increased after one of Florentino Perez’s main rivals to become president of the Spanish giants pulled out of the race. Perez has made little secret of his desire to sign Alonso should he become president and Liverpool are now braced for a bid from Real.”

Lerner tries to stay optimistic about Barry

Transfer Speculation

Randy Lerner is optimistic Gareth Barry will remain at Aston Villa say’s today’s Guardian. “We have discussed a new contract with Gareth" said Lerner. "I would give Barry the highest ranking possible. He is the best. He is a gentleman, a great player, a pleasure to be around, a leader, a great captain.”

However the next comment appears to reveal a more realistic evaluation of the situation:

“Am I optimistic Gareth will stay? Yes, I am optimistic. It is my nature.”

Whilst today’s Daily Star says “Manchester City and Spurs are in a £12m head-to-head battle for he player”. Whilst using no actual comments from either club or manager, the article goes on to speculate that “Barry is set to quit Aston Villa after the club failed to qualify for Champions League football next season, and he is wanted by both Mark Hughes and Harry Redknapp. The 28-year-old would prefer a move to either Liverpool or Arsenal – but at the moment neither club are showing interest in the England midfielder. City would easily splash the cash for Barry and double the £45,000-a-week-deal he is currently on. Hughes wants to rebuild his side and knows that he needs characters and players he can rely on. Redknapp has always been an admirer of Barry and nearly bought him for Portsmouth a couple of seasons ago for £5m. He would not be able to match the wages that City can offer, but Spurs’ bright finish to the campaign could entice Barry. But Villa manager Martin O’Neill will still do everything he can to keep his senior star if a Champions League team does not make a bid. He has repeatedly said he could understand Barry leaving if one of the big four again made a move for him, but unless that happens he will try and persuade him to sign a new deal. Kop boss Rafa Benitez is still unsure as to whether to make another bid for Barry, but his hand might be forced if Xabi Alonso insists on quitting Merseyside. Real Madrid have shown interest in the Spanish midfielder and there was speculation over the weekend that the former Real Sociedad star will put in a written transfer request.”

Rafa bids for Napoli forward Lavezzi

Transfer Speculation

The Telegraph is reporting that Liverpool have made a bid or Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi. The Italian media have been quick to call him the “new Maradona”, however Lavezzi himself plays this down, instead comparing himself to Carlos Tevez. The article goes on to say: “Reports in Italy that Napoli have rejected an £18 million offer from Liverpool for the Argentinean international Ezequiel Lavezzi suggest he can be added to a list of potential Benitez targets. The forward, who is thought to be keen to leave the club, wants to play in the Champions League and would be a viable alternative to either Tevez or Silva.

His agent, Alejandro Mazzoni, said: "The offer from Liverpool was genuine, and came with a £2.5 million yearly salary." Aurelio De Laurentiis, the Napoli president, insists Lavezzi "is not for sale, unless an offer too good to refuse arrives."

Setanta Sports News claim that Eduardo Rossetto is the players agent and speaking with La Gazzetta Dello Sport he said: “Napoli own the player, and they have the last word," He goes on to say "I can confirm that an important offer exceeding 20million euros was made, but [chairman Aurelio] De Laurentiis did not consider it sufficient. Will he stay? That depends on Napoli. It's like owning a car. If it's just an average motor then you don't have to spend much on maintenance. But, if it's a high spec type, then it will cost you more. Without going into too much detail, Lavezzi's wages would be tripled."

The Telegraph article also speculates about other targets that Rafa has in his sights with a list of the usual suspects heading top of the list. It goes on to say that “Benitez has already drawn up a list of transfer targets, with Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez, David Silva and Glen Johnson his four priorities. Financing those moves will be an issue, though. He is likely to be granted just £20 million for one major signing by owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, although he may add to this through sales. Andrea Dossena, Andriy Voronin, Sebastian Leto and Ryan Babel will all be sold if appropriate offers are received."

The Guardian has Martin O’Neil asking Gareth Barry to think twice about a move to Anfield. "People have said before that we 'beat' Liverpool but that wasn't the case," said O'Neill, reflecting on Villa's resistance to Liverpool's attempts to sign Barry 12 months ago. "If they had come up with the deal and met our price then I assume it would have gone through. One of the disappointing aspects for Gareth was that Liverpool were claiming they could only afford this certain [amount] of money and then spent £20m on Robbie Keane almost overnight." Asked if that course of events upset Barry, O'Neill replied: "I'm sure if I was a player I would have been [hurt]. If someone had told me they were coming for me and the next thing they're saying they don't have it and then they go and buy someone else for £20m within a day or two, that would be a different issue."

The piece goes on to say that Barry will need to choose between his desire to play Champions League football or having to cope with the possibility of not playing every game for the Reds. The player certainly has decisions to make in the coming weeks, with the possibility he may let his contract run out and leave Villa on a free transfer next summer. "There is no rush," said O'Neill. "Gareth has got things to ponder and consider. Obviously his own thoughts, not mine, could be more concerned about his England position and obviously that's something that he is considering. He wants Champions League football. The thing to consider is that we would rotate less than other teams and Gareth is one who thrives on playing most weeks."

The Mirror says any potential deal will not be cheap and speculates that "Liverpool will still have to pay at least £10million for Gareth Barry". Barry has been priced between £8-£12 million in the past few weeks by various papers. O’Neil goes on to say: "The price obviously with a year left to run is a different issue," said O’Neill, who has offered Barry a lucrative new deal to stay. But by the same token he is an England international player, he has captained his country and he is still only 28 years old. He wouldn’t come cheaply even in this day and age."

Sky Sports News has Rafa playing down the press speculation regarding summer transfers, saying: "When you know your targets then you read things you can say, 'they have no idea'. I don't waste too much time on this. We have already had about 90 Spanish players linked with us. Today there were three names we do not even know. We have some money, not big money. But for me now it is not about how much, but how good they are for us."

Sammy Lee took Benitez’s place in yesterday’s pre Spurs press conference and confirmed that Xabi Alonso was definitely in Liverpool’s plans for the future, by saying: "The talk about Alonso (going to Real Madrid) is pure speculation. You cannot prevent talk. But we always want to keep the spine of the team, our very best players. You can't stop speculation, but we want to keep the core of our squad, the best players, here. New players will be brought in. You always want to keep improving on the field compared to what we have done this season. There is a platform now to go forward and hopefully win the title, but we have to get the best out of this squad to do it." This confirmed an interview that Rafa gave to Liverpool TV: "It's very clear - Xabi has three years left and we do not want to sell him."

Rafa’s summer shopping list

Transfer Speculation

The Mirror has given a detailed description of how they see Rafa spending his summer transfer money. The article says:

The Liverpool manager will again be given sizeable funds this summer to make new signings, with more than £25million earmarked by the club's American owners. But Benitez knows he needs to take the final step to title glory, especially given the buys United will inevitably make this summer. So the additional funds will have to come from selling some of his current squad, with the likes of Ryan Babel, Andrea Dossena and possibly even Xabi Alonso sacrificed. That will give him almost £50million to spend, but he believes that will still mean him having to be perfect in his dealings. This time he would love to sign Valencia's tricky winger David Silva along with his colleague and Spanish centre half Raul Albiol, who between them would cost the best part of £30m.

The article additionally states "Benitez is also committed to the purchase of Gareth Barry, who he is hoping to land for £10m, and is keen on bringing Portsmouth's Glen Johnson to Anfield for a similar fee. That would be his kitty completely gone, yet Benitez would love the chance to take a swipe at Ferguson by also bidding to make Carlos Tevez the first player to move between Anfield and Old Trafford in more than 40 years."

Another Mirror article speculates that a devastated “Stewart Downing could miss out on his dream £12million switch to Liverpool or Spurs after suffering a broken foot. The England winger will have an operation on Friday to repair the break, sustained against Aston Villa last Saturday, that will keep him out until August at least and with little time to get fit ahead of a big-money transfer.”

Also in the Mirror is a piece claiming “Aston Villa are offering Gareth Barry a huge new deal in a final attempt to keep him out of Liverpool's clutches. Villa boss Martin O'Neill is willing to sanction England midfielder Barry, 28, getting a whopping £65,000-a-week to stay. The star has one year left on his contract at Villa Park and had been widely expected to move to Liverpool this summer. But O'Neill hopes the proposed new deal, plus the lure of regular first team football, the captaincy and offer of a testimonial, will tempt Barry to stay.”

Transfer Speculation

Liverpool are apparently on the verge of signing Croatian international Danijel Pranjic from Herenveen in an £8million deal according to today’s Mirror. “The 26-year-old left-sided midfielder, who scored 16 goals in the Dutch League this season to help Herenveen qualify for Europe, sent agent Soren Lerby to Anfield this week to discuss terms. Lerby then flew to Holland on Friday to speak with Heerenveen and club director Yme Kuiper admitted: "We understand Liverpool is the club where Pranjic wants to go."

The article goes on to say that Liverpool will also sign Gareth Barry in a reported £10 million deal this summer as Xabi Alonso is leaving for Juventus for £15 million.

The Scum sister paper the ‘News of the World’ contradicts the Mirror’s article by stating Alonso will be ‘forced out’ of Liverpool to join Manchester City in a deal worth £18 million. It also speculates that Gareth Barry will become a Liverpool player for £8 million. The stories from both papers accredit no quotes regarding Alonso instead claiming the report had come from “sources close to the club”

The Sunday Express states that Benitez wants to keep key players at Liverpool. In an interview taken earlier this week, but ignored by the tabloids intent on intensifying speculation, Rafa clearly states his aim to keep both Mascherano and Alonso at Anfield. Both players have endured intense transfer gossip in the past couple of weeks. Speaking about Mascherano he said “I didn’t know about his comments so I talked to him about them and he was clear that he is happy here,” Benitez said. “You cannot stop clubs talking with his agent because he is a good player and there aren’t many holding midfielders of his calibre. When you have four or five top clubs asking about you, you don’t want to say ‘no’ because you know in football everything can change. So from a player’s point of view, and especially from the agent’s, they try to keep the doors open for everyone. But does he want to leave? I don’t think so. He knows the best option for him at this moment is this club. In three years’ time you never know. But now he knows this is the best option.” The article goes on to state that Alonso has been linked with Real Madrid as well as Juventus. Speaking about the Alonso speculation he goes on to say “We want to keep all our key players here, and it is exactly the same story with Xabi.”

The News of the World also alleges that Rafa will have a £64 million transfer budget this summer. In an article written by ex Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Bascombe it claims that Benitez has been promised £20 million from the owners, but hopes to make another £44 million by selling players. Alonso, Ryan Babel, Andrea Dossena, Andriy Voronin, Sebastian Leto, Jermaine Pennant, Charles Itandje, Philipp Degen are all on the way out. It also declares that Jack Hobbs who has been on a season long loan at Leicester will make the move permanent in a £1 million deal. Albert Riera could also leave as Benitez is considering a £12m swoop for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing.

The story also claims that Sami Hyypia will await the outcome of the title race before deciding whether to accept a Liverpool testimonial. The defender has agreed a summer move to Bayer Leverkusen after 10 years at Anfield. The article declares “If Manchester United have wrapped up the league by the time Spurs visit on May 24, Hyypia will likely to be honorary skipper for the day. If the race goes all the way, he may have a send-off next season.”

Elsewhere in the paper Carlos Tevez has stated that he will leave Manchester United in the summer. Tevez was linked with Liverpool a few weeks back, claims in an interview for the tabloid "I don't think I will be a Manchester United player next season. I feel bad over my situation, I do, but it's very, very difficult to stay any longer. I guess what I'm saying is goodbye. Any club I join, whether it be Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool or Everton, will be a rival of Manchester United.”