The race to sign the Aston Villa skipper is getting more and more interesting. After his impressive efforts in an England shirt in the last week, it appears that Rafa Benitez is as keen as ever to secure the midfielder’s signature.
Liverpool are to intensify efforts to prise Gareth Barry from Aston Villa by increasing their £10m offer to bring the England midfielder to Anfield. Their manager, Rafael Benítez, who is hoping to force through the sale of Xabi Alonso to Juventus before the European Championship commences this weekend, has been encouraged by Barry’s public admission that he wishes to play in the Champions League and has instructed a second bid for the 27-year-old. (The Guardian)
A fee in the region of £15m appears to be what Martin O’Neill would like if he is going to release his influential leader, that fee seems relatively cheap in today’s market (Owen Hargreaves cost more!). Clearly Benitez sees Barry as a very important piece of the Anfield jigsaw, do Liverpool fans feel the same way?