Gareth Barry has been linked with an exit from Everton so should Aston Villa consider a move?
Gareth Barry has been linked with a move away from Everton this summer as the veteran midfielder enters the final year of his current contract.
The Express and Star reports that both Burnley and West Bromwich Albion are considering moves for the vastly experienced 36-year-old.
Everton’s Gareth Barry
However, after defying the odds to bring John Terry to the Championship, should Aston Villa try and do the same thing with their former captain?
While Terry decided to make the step down to the second tier of English football because he didn’t want to face Chelsea in the Premier League, Barry could be tempted to Villa Park because of much more emotional ties.
The England international came through the ranks at the Birmingham club, breaking into the first team in 1998 and playing 398 matches before leaving for Manchester City in 2009.
Barry won the FA Cup and the league title with the Citizens before then joining the Toffees and he has made the second most appearances in Premier League history behind Ryan Giggs.
The Birmingham Mail reports that Villa are looking to sign Glenn Whelan from Stoke City to give them more authority in midfield, with the Potteries holding out for around £1m after an initial £500,000 bid was rejected.
Yet while Whelan is three years Barry’s junior, he does not have the same experience or affinity with the Villans and perhaps bringing the latter back to the club where it all started for him would be a good fit all round.
Everton’s Gareth Barry celebrates scoring their second goal
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