Rafa Benitez last night angrily hit back at Martin O'Neill for accusing him of being "disrespectful" and unsettling Gareth Barry.
And in another blunt message to one of his Premier League rivals, the Liverpool boss told Portsmouth's Harry Redknapp he will have to stump up £15million for Peter Crouch. Benitez was in fighting mood yesterday and revealed he rang O'Neill three weeks ago to declare his interest in Barry.
He was astonished when O'Neill claimed Liverpool were out of order for tabling a £10million bid and insists the Reds have done nothing wrong.
"I was surprised by part of his comments," said Benitez. "I had a private conversation with him 20 days ago.
"He knew everything about my idea and I knew about his idea. He said he wanted to talk with his owner.
"We needed to do an official movement and he knew that because I was talking with him."
Benitez has agreed to back off until the end of the campaign and plans more talks with Villa for Barry next week.
"He was very clear so we must wait until the end of the season and then we will try again," he said. "We will wait and respect his decision."
Benitez is also taking a tough line with Redknapp and dismissed his £8m offer for Crouch, claiming it is way below his valuation.
The Spaniard admitted for the first time that the England striker can go - together with John Arne Riise and the out-of-contract Harry Kewell - but only if the price is right.
He said: "Crouch wants to play every week. It's not easy here because Fernando Torres is on fire.
"So if we receive a very good offer - and when I say a very good offer, I mean £15m - we will consider it.
"But it won't be £8m because he's a big-name England international."
And in another blunt message to one of his Premier League rivals, the Liverpool boss told Portsmouth's Harry Redknapp he will have to stump up £15million for Peter Crouch. Benitez was in fighting mood yesterday and revealed he rang O'Neill three weeks ago to declare his interest in Barry.
He was astonished when O'Neill claimed Liverpool were out of order for tabling a £10million bid and insists the Reds have done nothing wrong.
"I was surprised by part of his comments," said Benitez. "I had a private conversation with him 20 days ago.
"He knew everything about my idea and I knew about his idea. He said he wanted to talk with his owner.
"We needed to do an official movement and he knew that because I was talking with him."
Benitez has agreed to back off until the end of the campaign and plans more talks with Villa for Barry next week.
"He was very clear so we must wait until the end of the season and then we will try again," he said. "We will wait and respect his decision."
Benitez is also taking a tough line with Redknapp and dismissed his £8m offer for Crouch, claiming it is way below his valuation.
The Spaniard admitted for the first time that the England striker can go - together with John Arne Riise and the out-of-contract Harry Kewell - but only if the price is right.
He said: "Crouch wants to play every week. It's not easy here because Fernando Torres is on fire.
"So if we receive a very good offer - and when I say a very good offer, I mean £15m - we will consider it.
"But it won't be £8m because he's a big-name England international."
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