Gareth Barry returns to training as Aston Villa stick to rules
Gareth Barry has been summoned to preseason training at Aston Villa this morning as the stalemate continues over his proposed move to Liverpool, but the England midfield player expects to get his way soon.
Although Barry’s return from exile has been regarded in some quarters as an olive branch from Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, it appears to have had more to do with Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) rules, which govern that a player cannot be banned from his workplace for longer than two weeks.
Barry was told on July 2 that he was not welcome at training, having given what the club called an “unauthorised” interview in which he criticised O’Neill for blocking his move to Liverpool. A fortnight later, though, PFA rules dictate that the player must be allowed to resume work.
That, rather than a sudden climb-down, is behind yesterday’s curt statement from Villa. But O’Neill remains furious with Barry and will not consider him for his team’s Intertoto Cup match away to Odense, the Danish club, on Saturday - and not only because, having missed the first two weeks of preseason training, the player is short of fitness. Villa are aware of the fitness issue, which could affect the player’s market value.
Given the ill-feeling that has built between manager and player over the past month, O’Neill is resigned to losing Barry. Villa suffered a surprise 3-1 defeat by Lincoln City in a friendly last night, Steve Sidwell, the midfield player signed from Chelsea, playing his first match for the club. However, O’Neill is convinced that, having signed Sidwell and made bids for Brad Friedel, the United States goalkeeper, and David Bentley, the England midfield player, from Blackburn Rovers, as well as registering an interest in Stewart Downing, the Middlesbrough winger, Villa could be a stronger team without Barry next season.
Despite O’Neill’s claims that Arsenal are also interested in the player, Liverpool are refusing to meet Villa’s £18 million valuation for Barry. With Xabi Alonso’s proposed move to Juventus having fallen through, the Merseyside club may have to abandon their summer-long pursuit of the England midfield player.
There have been claims from Anfield that Rafael BenÍtez, the Liverpool manager, has a fall-back option who would cost little more than £6 million. As things stand, BenÍtez does not have enough funds to sign both Robbie Keane, the Tottenham Hotspur forward, and Barry, but he remains confident of offloading Alonso, the midfield player, as well as Scott Carson, the goalkeeper who is weighing up a move to Stoke City or West Bromwich Albion.
Having stated that the transfer budget given to him by Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the club’s American owners, amounts to “not much money”, BenÍtez is determined to wheel and deal to raise the funds to buy Keane, Barry and one other player. He has sold John Arne Riise to AS Roma, Danny Guthrie to Newcastle United and Peter Crouch to Portsmouth, and others, such as Charles Itandje, Steve Finnan, Jermaine Pennant and Yossi Benayoun, are available at the right price.
BenÍtez, however, is expected to reject a loan bid from Newcastle for Emiliano Insua, the Argentina Under-20 full back, and an ambitious inquiry from Olympiacos for Lucas Leiva, the Brazil midfield player.
In addition to the unedifying dispute over Barry, Villa and Liverpool competed this summer to sign James Milner, but with Newcastle United determined to retain the services of the winger, the Midlands club have switched their attention to Downing.
While it is not clear if Villa’s interest - which is yet to bring an official bid - is dependent on the success or otherwise of their pursuit of Bentley, O’Neill is understood to be keen to partner Ashley Young with John Carew in attack next season, which would free up space on Villa’s left-hand side.
Downing signed a new five-year contract only five months ago, but Middlesbrough are again steeling themselves to fend off unwanted attention for their most saleable asset, the subject of interest from rival clubs for the past three summers.
