Villa tell Liverpool: Give us £18m for Barry or you can forget him

Martin O'Neill has finally put a valuation on his skipper after the midfielder launched a sustained personal attack on his manager.

O'Neill valued the player at £18m after speaking to Villa owner Randy Lerner at length yesterday following Barry stepping up his bid to leave Villa Park. Barry hit out at the lack of urgency at his club, demanding a move to Anfield as he laid into O'Neill for taking on a role as a BBC pundit at the European Championship.

Heading for Anfield: But Gareth Barry won't be cheap for Benitez

Last night O'Neill said he would not stand in Barry's way as long as Liverpool upped the £13m offer received three weeks ago.

O'Neill said: 'The chairman and myself are surprised at what Gareth has said. Contrary to what he alleges, we desperately want to keep him at Villa Park - and he knows that.

'We asked both Gareth and his agent to consider what had been discussed in our meeting, including a variety of options to incentivise the player. 'Gareth returned from England's matches at the beginning of June only to reiterate his intention to join Liverpool.

He told me that directly. 'But Liverpool's valuation of Gareth has come short of our own. We have made our position clear. If Liverpool meet our valuation, Gareth will have his express wish to leave Villa Park granted.'

Barry had played a dangerous game when he said he had reached the point of no return.

He signalled his intentions when he said: 'I want to join Liverpool. There's no going back. It's time for me to move on. I'm desperate to play in the Champions League and that's why I have to leave.

'Villa kept saying they wanted me to stay but I have not heard from the manager for weeks. The last time we spoke was just after England's match in Trinidad at the start of June. And that's it.

'It just made me think that he and the club were saying one thing in public but were not really bothered at all about me in private. What other conclusion can you reach?

'It's seven weeks since the season finished but, while the gaffer's found time to be a pundit for the BBC at Euro 2008, he hasn't found the time to speak to me. But Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has shown how much he wants me at Anfield.

'I'm obviously flattered that someone as successful as Rafa Benitez thinks so highly of me, and that he's not been afraid to put his valuation of me in black and white for Villa and all the world to see.

'But have Villa offered me anything to try to persuade me my future is at Villa Park? Not a thing.'

Whether Benitez has the cash at his disposal to push the deal through is questionable. The trail regarding Xabi Alonso's £16m move to Juventus appears to have gone cold for the time being and, with time running out before players return to their clubs, it may be that Barry has to face the music and return to Villa Park before his deal is concluded.