Bolton Wanderers Forum The-Wanderer.co.uk

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 11:41 am**

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpoo ... -20853710/

Liverpool make £10m bid for Gareth Barry

May 2 2008 EXCLUSIVE by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL have tabled a £10m bid to bring Aston Villa star Gareth Barry to Anfield.

The offer was made yesterday as Rafa Benitez reacted to Liverpool's Champions League exit at the hands of Chelsea by making an immediate move for his number one summer transfer target.

The Reds boss has earmarked Barry as a potential key signing and the centre piece of his rebuilding plans as he looks to put together a squad with enough strength in depth to be able to mount a genuine challenge for the Premier League title.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill has insisted he would be reluctant to let the England international leave Villa Park. But the 27-year-old central midfielder is keen to experience Champions League football and is believed to favour a transfer to Anfield, despite interest from both Arsenal and Chelsea.

The two London clubs have been monitoring Barry's situation for several months and both are believed to be ready to test the water by make offers of their own.

But Liverpool have stolen a march on their Big Four rivals by getting in first with a £10m bid. Though Benitez rates Barry highly, he would be reluctant to get involved in an auction for a player understood to be keen on a move to Anfield.

O'Neill is desperate to retain the services of his club captain and is due to meet Villa owner Randy Lerner next week in an attempt to put together a lucrative contract in a last ditch bid to convince Barry not to quit.

But, with Liverpool able to offer Barry the Champions League football he craves and the opportunity to team up with international team mate Steven Gerrard, it is unlikely that even the prospect of being the best paid Villa player of all time would be enough to tempt him to remain at the club he joined as a teenager in 1997.

With 17 international caps and 313 Premier League appearances to his name, Barry is a seasoned campaigner whose stock has risen in recent seasons thanks to a string of influential performances for both club and country.

Former England manager Steve McClaren gave Barry a regular place in his starting line-up and Fabio Capello, his replacement as national team manager, has continued to select him in his preferred central midfield role, despite competition from the likes of Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Manchester United's Michael Carrick.

Now Benitez is keen to make him his first acquisition of the summer and Liverpool's offer will test their determination to keep hold of their star player.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 11:43 am**

Personally I really rate Barry, think he's a storming player

£10m, not too certain about, but then again money buys you not alot these days

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 11:54 am**

David Lee's Hair wrote:Personally I really rate Barry, think he's a storming player

£10m, not too certain about, but then again money buys you not alot these days

Given that Carrick was £16.something and Hargreaves was £15.something? Then £10m for Barry is cheapskating a bit, specially given that an on-loan reserve defender from Villa cost us £5m...

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 12:55 pm**

I don't quite understand this!

Blurred, where the hell would he play him?

He's already forcing Gerrard to play in the hole behind Torres, Alonso and Masherano are the 2 holding midfielders he likes to play with.

Where does Barry fit into the team potentially? Yet another midfielder to push Gerrard out of his favoured position!

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 12:57 pm**

It'll certainly serve England to have Gerrard and Barry playing together every week.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 1:17 pm**

oliver holt wrote a strong article about this. basically saying it'll be a dark day for english football. if a "big" club like Villa can't keep hold of a player like Barry then how can any club begin to challenge the top 4

when o'neill took charge barry was a utility player, playing centre back, left back, left wing and centre mid. he's got a role there, if the club has ambitions to kick on they need to keep players like Barry

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 1:18 pm**

FD wrote:I don't quite understand this!

Blurred, where the hell would he play him?

He's already forcing Gerrard to play in the hole behind Torres, Alonso and Masherano are the 2 holding midfielders he likes to play with.

Where does Barry fit into the team potentially? Yet another midfielder to push Gerrard out of his favoured position!

Wondering this one myself. Where would he fit Blurred?

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 1:28 pm**

LeeRoyBrown wrote: Wondering this one myself. Where would he fit Blurred?

If the beeb is to be believed....

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is planning a summer clearout with Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant, John Arne Riise and Xabi Alonso in line to leave to create funds for Gareth Barry, Borussia Dortmund full-back Philipp Degen and Wigan's Antonio Valencia. (The Sun)

... although I'm not blurred and I just thought I'd jump in with an answer

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 1:29 pm**

He's twice the player Alonso is, I think he's dog turd

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 1:31 pm**

Alonso's stock does seem to have fallen somewhat in recent times - what say you, Blurred?

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 1:57 pm**

It is an interesting one - Alonso's not been at the top of his game for a year or so, although rumours of his demise are, I think, over-stated. He set such high standards in his first 18 months/2 years or so that it'd be hard to keep them up. I'd be interested to see if this were to come off whether it is with the intention of Alonso staying or not. Some people are saying that he's being signed as utility player, in that he can do a job on the left, or in the centre, or even fill in at left back, but I think that's daft - he's had a good few seasons in centre-mid and that's where he should be deployed. If Alonso is to go, then that's all well and good, and he's not a bad replacement for him.

I don't know if he'd depose Alonso in the starting XI and play alongside Mascherano, or if he's good enough to. I've not seen that much of him to really comment, but from what I have I think he'd be a 3rd choice central midfielder behind the aforementioned two, but probably just ahead of Lucas. With the revised rules for the Champions League squads (8 players from the 25 have to have had 3 years under the age of 21 playing in England) I think we might be looking at bolstering our English contingent in the first team squad. Even if he's not going to be dropped into the first team, we have to look at the likes of United who are paying £15m+ for pretty much all of their midfield, and so if we are to challenge them then this would be a very good addition to the squad, allowing personnel to be changed from game to game with little or no detriment to the overall level of the team.

As for the deal itself - methinks Mr Carson may be a little bargaining tool in this, much as Garcia was in the Torres deal. I don't think it'll be a straight 'swap', as clubs like to keep the transfers separate, but it'll likely be that we agree a fee with Villa on the condition that they agree a fee with us for Carson, if, that is, we want to sell him. Ultimately something along the lines of Carson + £5m for Barry seems a reasonable deal, although I'd be surprised if Villa let Barry go for £10m alone.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 5:02 pm**

LeeRoyBrown wrote:
FD wrote:I don't quite understand this!

Blurred, where the hell would he play him?

He's already forcing Gerrard to play in the hole behind Torres, Alonso and Masherano are the 2 holding midfielders he likes to play with.

Where does Barry fit into the team potentially? Yet another midfielder to push Gerrard out of his favoured position!
Wondering this one myself. Where would he fit Blurred?

Should fatty decide to switch to 4-3-3, he'd have one hell of a centre midfield -

.......................Masherano..............................

.................Gerrard........Barry...........................

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 5:23 pm**

From where I sit, while all three are good players in their own way, a Masch/Barry midfield would be far less creative than a Masch/Xabi pairing. Like Mascherano, Barry is good at recycling the ball and playing it intelligently five or ten yards forward, but that would place a massive creative burden on Gerrard. Signing Barry, unless it's just to fill a Champions League bench slot, would essentially mean you have to sign two very good wingers - Alves and Mancini?

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 5:39 pm**

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:From where I sit, while all three are good players in their own way, a Masch/Barry midfield would be far less creative than a Masch/Xabi pairing. Like Mascherano, Barry is good at recycling the ball and playing it intelligently five or ten yards forward, but that would place a massive creative burden on Gerrard. Signing Barry, unless it's just to fill a Champions League bench slot, would essentially mean you have to sign two very good wingers - Alves and Mancini?

Yet playing Mascherano and Barry alongside Gerrard, would allow el 9.4, to gallop forward with alot of protection behind him. I also think having the creative burden that doesn't involve being on the right wing is something Gerrard will thrive on. You are quite right in ashuming they will need two very good wingers to play this formation mind, which may cost Liverpool another 15/20 million.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 5:52 pm**

10 mil for a player who (possibly) is going to be a bit player.

Shows how far behind in the grand scheme of things we really are.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 6:14 pm**

Sotwa, can't quite work out whether you already know this but they've been playing well since pushing Gerrard forward anyway - just behind Torres with two wider attackers plus Masch & Alonso sat in behind - the 4-2-3-1 formation favoured by many continental teams from Milan to the Manc rags. So GazBaz would play in one of those "disciplined" midfield roles, presumably in Alonso's stead.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 8:38 pm**

blurred wrote:Even if he's not going to be dropped into the first team, we have to look at the likes of United who are paying £15m+ for pretty much all of their midfield, and so if we are to challenge them then this would be a very good addition to the squad, allowing personnel to be changed from game to game with little or no detriment to the overall level of the team.

This kind of thinking is why Benitez has failed in the league. Yes, Barry would allow you to maintain "the overall level of the team," but when that level could be classified as "nowhere near good enough to win the league," what is really accomplished? Barry is a good player but he's not League Title material.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 8:46 pm**

He'd be found out playing for a top four club IMO. Decent enough in a number of positions, but best off staying to a smaller side and being the main man.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 9:13 pm**

I've always liked Barry and he's played well in an England shirt. He's also capable of shooting off down the left wing and getting some dangerous crosses in. Can take killer corner kicks too. Love to see him in a Bolton shirt but there's little chance of that.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 11:13 pm**

It'll be a great transfer, if only to illustrate to the whining bastard Villa fans that they are nowhere near as big a club as they think they are.

Bolton Wanderers Forum The-Wanderer.co.uk

Liverpool table £10m bid for Barry

Liverpool table £10m bid for Barry