Liverpool offers £15m package for Villa's Barry
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Liverpool boss Benitez offers £15m package for Villa's Barry
Rafa Benitez will contact Aston Villa with an improved bid for Gareth Barry in a renewed attempt to land his main summer transfer target. Villa manager Martin O'Neill rejected an initial cash-plusplayers offer worth about £10million and vowed to talk Barry into staying put.
But after hearing Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard go public on his wish to replicate their England partnership at club level, Barry will make it clear that he favours a move to Anfield. Benitez is ready to apply further pressure to his Villa counterpart by again offering him a choice of players and increasing the overall package to about £15m.
The Liverpool boss is confident it will be enough to prise Barry from Villa Park and install him alongside Javier Mascherano in an anchor role that would give Gerrard licence to push forward.
Liverpool also hope to complete the signing of Udinese's left back Andrea Dossena today. Benitez is aware he needs to generate funds to finance his buying plans and is hopeful of recouping most of his outlay on Barry by selling Xabi Alonso to Juventus, following talks with the Serie A club this week.