Liverpool and Villa finally agree £19m deal for Gareth Barry

[Tes]

"Fine no deadline, Liverpool can take all the time they need."
The MON emotional rollercoaster ride is taking another twist. Now he
sounds resigned and wounded. What next?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7539228.stm

It seems like a climbdown but he probably knows or least feels confident that unless we can rummage in the attic again and find more to sell that raising the fee or rather raising the required amounts to meet the payments (supposedly half now and half next Summer) is still going to be difficult. Our "custodians" may or may not have agreed to raise the finance and then take it back from future sales, but saying or agreeing something is one thing, actually doing it seems quite another.

[the dude abides]

it is taking a ridiculously long time to conclude the deal. But have no fears, we have our best man on the job.  If anyone can get things moving along, it will be Rick.

As for pulling out - that would be tremendously unfair on Barry.  He would be truly left high and dry (unless the gunners step in).

But for all we know, arsenal could be preparing to swoop for Alonso, and then we go for Barry.  It may just be a matter of co-ordinating the two moves.

[Tes]

European competition may provide us with the "get out clause". If Villa play Barry in the UEFA Cup qualifier then I think the deal is off, likewise if Gerrard's injury forces us into playing Alonso.

Kuyt seems to be generating interest also. We 'appear' to be prepared to sell off players piecemeal to fund Barry:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/2515375/Liverpool-price-Dirk-Kuyt-out-of-Hamburg-move---Football.html

[the dude abides]

yes, I saw that Kuyt Hamburg link this morning....I also see where Roma are claiming That Yossi will be a Roma player before the end of the window......crazy. 

It sounds like we are prepared to sell anything that is not nailed down.

[PhilLFC]

Liverpool's owners have failed to raise the cash to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa and now the move could be off - again. (Daily Mirror)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/7548648.stm

This is only a rumour, however could there be any truth in it??? or is this LFC F**king Villa over now that they have spent so much money on transfers and pulling out of an a agreement to buy carson and Treating all of us as idiots over the Barry saga...

[the dude abides]

Given that the Keane deal happened so quickly, and the Barry deal is taking forever, my guess is that it must be down to Villa demanding an unorthodox deal (i.e. much of the money upfront).

[skippy]

Anyone know how the figures add up so far with regards funds from sales and money spent on transfers? Have the owners actually made any money available?

[Tes]

The amounts we raised in sales more or less covered Robbie Keane's fee so approx net spend is about £12M (Dossena, Cav and Ngog). I'm becoming more sure that the Masch and Skrtel deals came out of the Summer budget. The loan agreement for Masch didn't run out until this Summer but obviously Rafa rightly wanted to get the deal tied up before then and head of any chance of a pre-contract agreement with another club (if that was possible depending on whether we also had first option at the end of the loan deal) back in the January window.

Re the Carson deal, there was allegedly an option to purchase for anything between £8M-£10M in the original loan agreement. As it's only an option, Villa had the right to waive the option at the end of the loan deal and either choose not to buy or lose the first choice fixed price option and compete with any other bidding clubs and try and win any auction at a lower price than the £8M-£10M.

The Barry deal I remember reading was £9M this Summer and then £9M next as opposed to being spread over the term of his first contract as a lot of transfers between Premier League clubs seem to be structured.

The Echo's take on the Barry deal:

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2008/08/08/liverpool-s-gareth-barry-swoop-on-the-rocks-100252-21492180/2/

Page 2 seems to suggest the problem, but since when did the owners become such experts in sookker, that's why we have a manager like Rafa Benitez.

[the dude abides]

if the yanks now retreat their tanks, and pulls out of the Barry transfer, where does that leave Rafa (and the player himself)?

I wonder if Rafa would walk.

------------------

meanwhile, this gem from MON.

MARTIN O’NEILL’S pronouncements have caused plenty of consternation on Merseyside this summer.

But surely nothing as preposterous as this little gem.

“Bids have been going in. Negotiations are taking place on various fronts. I anticipate there will be significant additions. I’d be pleasantly surprised if every single thing I’m planning comes into play. I would hope for us to have a real proper squad, at least the size of, say, Everton.”

Nothing like aiming high, eh, Martin.

[Stephen]

What are the yanks playing at here. Rafa has spent the summer chasing this guy? Why only now are they saying we don't have the money? Its not their bloody money anyway. We'll be paying it back for them.

So I guess this copper fastens the belief that we had to sell before we could buy this summer.

Srktel and Masch were surely covered by the Sissoko deal? Considering the Masch deal of £17m included his wages for 4 years and the £2m upfront payment when he initially joined.

If I was Rafa I'd be raging - he must be hoping these too carpet baggers f*ck off asap. Talk about having no vision!

[Tes]

Talk about having no vision!

I think that they do have a vision but it's totally at odds with what is needed to make us a successful football club in the true sporting sense.