Rafa Benitez offers Aston Villa choice of Riise, Pennant or Carson to help get Gareth Barry

May 3 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL have taken the first steps towards signing Gareth Barry – as Harry Redknapp prepares to lure Peter Crouch back to Portsmouth.

The Anfield outfit have tabled a player-plus-cash deal worth £10million for Aston Villa captain Barry as Rafael Benitez begins his squad rebuilding following the Champions League exit to Chelsea this week.

Benitez has given Villa the choice of Jermaine Pennant, John Arne Riise or Scott Carson in an attempt to sway the Midlanders into parting with the 27-year-old.

Although Carson is approaching the end of a season-long loan at Villa, the club have not yet decided whether to pursue a permanent transfer.

Pennant has become a peripheral figure for Liverpool while Riise has not been offered a new contract despite his present deal expiring at the end of next season.

Villa would prefer to take Crouch, but the striker is thought to be excited by the prospect of an imminent £8m bid from Portsmouth.

Speaking yesterday, Benitez wouldn’t be drawn on Barry but Villa manager Martin O’Neill was unimpressed the offer had become public knowledge.

“Liverpool haven’t made a straight cash offer,” said O’Neill. “They have made an offer involving a mish-mash of nameless player exchanges.

“I’m particularly disappointed to hear that business is being conducted in public.

“It’s certainly not the way that the Liverpool of old conducted business. I prefer to do things with a bit or privacy and a bit of confidentiality.

“Gareth Barry is a really good player who still has two years left on his contract. I haven’t discussed these things with him yet. At some stage obviously I will do. But the day before probably our most important game of the season is not the time to be discussing it.

“A couple of weeks ago Gareth said he would prefer to wait until the end of the season before we start discussing things and I think that would be the right thing to do.”

Barry is a prime target for Benitez, with the player himself keen to sample Champions League football and eager to link up with England international team-mate Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool have made the early move in the hope of staving off expected interest from Chelsea and Arsenal.

“We are working and progressing with some targets so we are trying to improve the squad,” said Benitez, whose team entertain Manchester City in their final home game of the season tomorrow.

“We have progressed from last season until now and I am happier but I think we can improve.

“How much money can we spend? It depends if we can do the deals at the right moment. Sometimes it’s not to spend more money, it’s to sign the player you really need.”

There are likely to be numerous arrivals and departures once the transfer window opens at the start of next month as Benitez reshapes his squad.

Almost certain to depart is Crouch after struggling to earn regular first-team football and having so far declined to take up the offer of a new contract at Anfield.

And Portsmouth manager Redknapp, who worked alongside Crouch at Southampton yet sold the player during his first stint at Fratton Park, wants to bring the player back to the South Coast.

“We offered Crouch a contract in December and for a long time he has had the offer,” said Benitez. “He has the idea. We want to keep him.”

Benitez met with co-owner Tom Hicks and chief executive Rick Parry this week to discuss possible summer transfer moves.

And the Spaniard said: “The meeting we had was positive and after this meeting I’m trying to keep in contact with all the owners and trying to progress.

“I was in London with Rick and we were talking about things and trying to progress but it doesn’t matter to me if it’s one, two, three years it’s about trying to do the right things.

“I have my own vision and am pleased with this idea so I will try to improve for next season. the squad will be better and hopefully we can improve a lot.

“You just try to keep everybody informed and try to progress.”