Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is determined to get the right price for captain Gareth Barry after dismissing Liverpool's third bid for the England midfielder as 'just not acceptable'.
Villa yesterday rejected a revised offer for Barry from the Reds believed to be around the £15million mark.
Barry has told O'Neill he wants to join Liverpool in order to play Champions League football and boost his England prospects but the Villa boss insists his club will not be bullied into selling.
He said: 'Gareth and I had a little chat when he got back from holiday and he has said he fancies going to Liverpool.
'That's obviously a big setback to us, but the offer from Liverpool is just not acceptable.
'It's very frustrating. We finished sixth last year, he was a major part of that and he has been a splendid player for us for some considerable time.'
O'Neill accepts it is a fact of life star players will be targeted by big clubs and has vowed the club will continue their bid to break the stranglehold of the big four in next season's Premier League.
'If Man United are having a struggle keeping hold of Cristiano Ronaldo, I guess the rest of us have a bit of trouble,' he added. 'It's difficult [to break into the top four] but that's what you're in the game for. If it's without Gareth Barry, we'll still have a go.'
Barry must now wait to see if Liverpool return with yet another bid or whether Rafael Benitez opts to look elsewhere.
It is believed previous offers for the midfielder included a cash-plus-player deal and this could still be the key to landing Barry.
Liverpool keeper Scott Carson spent last season on loan at Villa and O'Neill is keen to make the move permanent. But while Benitez is willing to sell, the two again disagree over Carson's valuation.
Villa yesterday rejected a revised offer for Barry from the Reds believed to be around the £15million mark.
Barry has told O'Neill he wants to join Liverpool in order to play Champions League football and boost his England prospects but the Villa boss insists his club will not be bullied into selling.
He said: 'Gareth and I had a little chat when he got back from holiday and he has said he fancies going to Liverpool.
'That's obviously a big setback to us, but the offer from Liverpool is just not acceptable.
'It's very frustrating. We finished sixth last year, he was a major part of that and he has been a splendid player for us for some considerable time.'
O'Neill accepts it is a fact of life star players will be targeted by big clubs and has vowed the club will continue their bid to break the stranglehold of the big four in next season's Premier League.
'If Man United are having a struggle keeping hold of Cristiano Ronaldo, I guess the rest of us have a bit of trouble,' he added. 'It's difficult [to break into the top four] but that's what you're in the game for. If it's without Gareth Barry, we'll still have a go.'
Barry must now wait to see if Liverpool return with yet another bid or whether Rafael Benitez opts to look elsewhere.
It is believed previous offers for the midfielder included a cash-plus-player deal and this could still be the key to landing Barry.
Liverpool keeper Scott Carson spent last season on loan at Villa and O'Neill is keen to make the move permanent. But while Benitez is willing to sell, the two again disagree over Carson's valuation.
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