Gareth Barry’s Aston Villa nightmare deepened last night when the Midlands club claimed they had rejected a new bid from Liverpool.
But Villa insist the offer from Anfield was not the £17million one widely reported earlier yesterday.
Liverpool also denied they had made a £17m bid, and insisted it was “not their final offer”.
But on a day when Villa manager Martin O’Neill fined club skipper Barry two weeks’ wages for his Sunday newspaper outburst attacking his manager’s handling of the prospective deal, Liverpool were again told they had not matched Villa’s valuation.
Liverpool had previously seen three bids rejected of £10million, £12m and then £13m and the new offer was believed to be in the region of £15m. O’Neill, however, is holding out for £18m.
Barry had raised the stakes this week by publicly attacking his manager, and as well as being fined he was also told not to attend Villa’s first day of pre-season training today.
Villa’s latest statement said: “The club have received a renewed offer from Liverpool for the player but that still falls well short of Aston Villa’s evaluation, and has subsequently been rejected.”
Earlier yesterday O’Neill had denied he had received another offer from Liverpool.
Barry’s absence from training today will only heighten the drama over his move, with his current position at the club clearly untenable.
Barry upset O’Neill by intimating the Villa manager was more interested in being a television pundit for the Euro 2008 finals than speaking to him over his future.
It is also unlikely that the England midfielder will be part of O’Neill’s squad as Villa jet off to a Swiss training camp next week ahead of their first pre-season friendly away at FC Zurich on July 12.
Villa’s competitive season starts almost a month earlier than most of their Premier League rivals as they will travel to the winners of TPS Turku of Finland and Denmark’s Odense BK on July 19/20 but Barry is not expected to figure even if his desired move to Anfield has not been completed by then.
Barry’s situation has become so bitter at Villa though, O’Neill could well try to hold out to ensure his captain is not able to play for Liverpool in their Champions League qualifier on August 12.
And Benitez is also ready to embark on a similar war of attrition with Tottenham over striker Robbie Keane, with sources close to the Irish international striker claiming they know Keane wants to move to Anfield.
Liverpool’s willingness to meet Villa’s price tag for Barry could be assisted if Juventus meet their £16m valuation of Spanish international midfielder Xabi Alonso. Currently on holiday following Luis Aragones’s side’s success at the European Championship finals, Alonso admits that he had no idea where he’d be playing his club football next season.
However, with Juventus having been unable to lure Italian international midfielder Alberto Aquilani from Roma, they could now step up their attempts to prise Alonso away from Anfield.
But Villa insist the offer from Anfield was not the £17million one widely reported earlier yesterday.
Liverpool also denied they had made a £17m bid, and insisted it was “not their final offer”.
But on a day when Villa manager Martin O’Neill fined club skipper Barry two weeks’ wages for his Sunday newspaper outburst attacking his manager’s handling of the prospective deal, Liverpool were again told they had not matched Villa’s valuation.
Liverpool had previously seen three bids rejected of £10million, £12m and then £13m and the new offer was believed to be in the region of £15m. O’Neill, however, is holding out for £18m.
Barry had raised the stakes this week by publicly attacking his manager, and as well as being fined he was also told not to attend Villa’s first day of pre-season training today.
Villa’s latest statement said: “The club have received a renewed offer from Liverpool for the player but that still falls well short of Aston Villa’s evaluation, and has subsequently been rejected.”
Earlier yesterday O’Neill had denied he had received another offer from Liverpool.
Barry’s absence from training today will only heighten the drama over his move, with his current position at the club clearly untenable.
Barry upset O’Neill by intimating the Villa manager was more interested in being a television pundit for the Euro 2008 finals than speaking to him over his future.
It is also unlikely that the England midfielder will be part of O’Neill’s squad as Villa jet off to a Swiss training camp next week ahead of their first pre-season friendly away at FC Zurich on July 12.
Villa’s competitive season starts almost a month earlier than most of their Premier League rivals as they will travel to the winners of TPS Turku of Finland and Denmark’s Odense BK on July 19/20 but Barry is not expected to figure even if his desired move to Anfield has not been completed by then.
Barry’s situation has become so bitter at Villa though, O’Neill could well try to hold out to ensure his captain is not able to play for Liverpool in their Champions League qualifier on August 12.
And Benitez is also ready to embark on a similar war of attrition with Tottenham over striker Robbie Keane, with sources close to the Irish international striker claiming they know Keane wants to move to Anfield.
Liverpool’s willingness to meet Villa’s price tag for Barry could be assisted if Juventus meet their £16m valuation of Spanish international midfielder Xabi Alonso. Currently on holiday following Luis Aragones’s side’s success at the European Championship finals, Alonso admits that he had no idea where he’d be playing his club football next season.
However, with Juventus having been unable to lure Italian international midfielder Alberto Aquilani from Roma, they could now step up their attempts to prise Alonso away from Anfield.
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