Paul Merson has warned former Villa team mate Gareth Barry he could end up regretting the proposed big-money move to Anfield.
The former Villa favourite rates the current club captain as the most talented player he ever worked with during his four-year stint at the club.
Merson was back at The Holte Suite this week to host a ‘Q&A’ with 300 Villa fans eager to discuss the future of Barry, as Liverpool try to prise the England player out of the Midlands.
The 40-year-old former Walsall manager, who is now a familiar face on Sky’s football coverage, believes the deal will ultimately go through.
He also warnes his old team mate that all that glitters may not be gold at Anfield.
He said: “I have known Gareth a long time and rate him the most talented player I played alongside at Villa. He is an absolute natural with a fantastic left foot.
“But one thing I also know about him is that he loves his football. He is only happy when he is playing week in, week out.
“I am not sure that is going to be the case at Liverpool. Naturally, he is going to be tempted by the prospect of Champions League football.
“But you never know what can happen – Liverpool have got a qualifying round to get through and what happens if they mess up in that?
“We can it here all night and talk this out. There are loads of plusses for going to Liverpool and loads of plusses for staying at Villa.
“The grass is always greener and you can’t blame Gareth for being tempted.
“I would like him to stay here of course but I honestly think he will leave before the start of the season.”
In that event, Merson does not believe Villa fans will be compensated by some big money signings coming through the door.
He added: “I don’t think it’s Martin O’Neill’s style. I don’t think he’s the sort of manager to go out and buy someone like Crespo and get him in on massive money.
“Villa is the fifth best job in the Premiership. You have got the top four but after that, there is no bigger club than this one.
“Martin has done a fantastic job but I don’t think signing big stars are his way.”
Loading ...
5 Comments
Its easy to warn Barry off a move to Liverpool when you are in a room with 300 Villa fans.
There are always going to be risks in a move such as this but I believe a player like Barry has faith in his own ability.
I would prefer to have tried and failed rather than to have never tried at all……….
Perhaps it is time Martin learns new tricks before he becomes an old dog!
It is time, me thinks, that Villa get some more expensive players to make a real challenge for 3rd or 4th in the league. Everton will not stand still.
sound to me like merse is being very patronising if barry is that good he will be a regular personally i think he is a good player but at the price villa are asking there are better
Thinking big and spending small is never going to make us a top four club, but sometimes the same is true for thinking big and spending big. Bargains like Ashley Young dont come around very often, he arrived with no edge, no ego and no self opinionated idea’s. Most big money players today are in love with their own shadow, have massive ego’s and are quite comfortable with doing little or nothing to earn their highly inflated wages, which by the way unless you have forgotten are paid for by us the fans. Proven quality costs dear but does not bring guaranteed success, finding the right balance is difficult, so MON could spend millions on a player that could make him a hero today but a villain tomorrow. There is no doubt that Barry is leaving, I hope for the right price but I disagree with Merse that he thinks he should stay, he will never be the same player in Claret & Blue again because his heart is not there anymore!! and the fans who idolised him….well he could find they might not look too favourably on a player who for weeks refused to talk about a decision that he had obviously already made.
i think he will end up his career in mediocrity if he remains in villa. but 15m pounds are also overpriced. to be honest, i am a liverpool fan in thailand. i sorts of feel that many english players like rooney, ferdinand, etc. are overpriced. if you are really worth that price, why england fail to go to the euro plory? now, again, gareth barry is being overpriced which complicate his demand to move unccessarily.