Rafa 15 Minutes Too Late For Barry

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Villa released a statement yesterday declaring that Barry would be staying put – a remarkable conclusion to a saga that seemed destined to end with the 27-year-old making the move to Merseyside. The Midlands club revealed that, after a few days of intense negotiation, the Reds failed to meet the pre-agreed deadline of 5pm on Wednesday, July 30, effectively ending their chase for the England midfielder. However, in an equally remarkable twist, it is being reported that Liverpool in fact made a late bid for Barry – too late, as they supposedly missed their cut-off by a mere 15 minutes. It is understood Rafael Benitez and co finally agreed to stump up the £18million Villa had been demanding, and had everything sorted and sent by 5.15pm. But the Birmingham outfit would not soften their stance in the slightest. Benitez’s insistence on prioritising the signing of Robbie Keane may well have cost him in this case. Although the Barry deal is not completely and utterly dead yet, the Spanish tactician may now turn his attention elsewhere, with Valencia’s David Silva a likely target.