Aston Villa dodge a bullet as Gareth Barry seals West Brom stay

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Championship giants Aston Villa were reportedly hoping to re-sign Gareth Barry from West Bromwich Albion should they be promoted to the Premier League.

If Aston Villa had not lost to Fulham in the Championship play-off final, there is a chance that Gareth Barry would have already made an emotional return to his former stomping ground.

The Mirror claimed in May that Villa were interested in re-signing their one-time captain, who made almost 450 appearances for the club between 1997 and 2009. But a deal would only happen if Steve Bruce’s side sealed their return to the promised land.

Alas, that didn’t happen thanks to Tom Cairney’s well-taken winner for Fulham at Wembley. So Barry, rather than return to Aston Villa, will instead stay at Midland rivals West Brom, signing a new one-year contract extension.

But, in a summer dogged by financial crisis and the potential sale of countless key players, is this a rare positive for Aston Villa? Former England and Manchester City midfielder Barry remains a model professional but, at 37, it goes without saying that his best days are behind him.

The veteran became the Premier League’s all-time appearance maker last season but, ironically, this coincided with perhaps his most difficult campaign in England’s top flight. For the first time, age seemed to catch up to Barry with the pace of the game passing him by.

Aston Villa re-signing him would seem to be a deal ruled by the heart rather than the head. Too many over-the-hill players have walked through the door of Villa Park of late and it is time this is put to a stop.