The Gareth Barry transfer saga continues with Liverpool releasing an official statement on their club website claiming that the price tag Aston Villa have placed on Barry is out of their reach.
The proposed transfer of the Villa captain to Liverpool looks set to become the longest running transfer saga of the summer. Yet, whilst the latest statement from Liverpool suggests a deal will not be done, there are likely to be further twists and turns before the end transfer window closes at the end of the month.
The latest twist stems from the club’s website which has posted an official statement explaining Liverpool's stance on the matter.
In the statment Chief Executive Rick Parry states that, despite speculation to the opposite, the club’s American owners and manager Rafael Benitez are not at odds over the deal. Instead, he reveals that the club simply feels that the price tag Villa have slapped on Barry is unrealistic.
“There has been a lot of comment regarding our position with regards to Gareth Barry,” states Parry in the official statement, “This is not about questioning the manager's judgment or the ability of a particular player. The owners have clearly demonstrated throughout the year they are willing to back Rafa in the transfer market and will continue to do so.”
Whilst Liverpool have been happy to spend £20 million on bringing Robbie Keane to Anfield from Tottenham, they appear unwilling to spend £18 million on Barry, despite reportedly having the funds available.
To confuse matters further, Liverpool have also been linked with an £18 million for David Silva today, which will only add fuel to an already burning fire.
The Liverpool statement however, appears to confirm that a deal for Barry is now unlikely as the Anfield club appear unwilling to meet Villa’s price tag. It states: “It is obviously the selling club's prerogative to put whatever price they want on the player, but on this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high.”
Despite the statement, Martin O’Neill is unlikely to drop his price for Barry, and with the midfielder reportedly desperate to quit Villa Park for Anfield, the saga looks set to continue for some time yet.
