Gareth Barry would be forgiven for rejecting the chance to move into the Championship normally, but perhaps Aston Villa should at least try.
Gareth Barry would have undoubtedly got Aston Villa fans talking last month when he suggested, as reported by the Birmingham Mail, that he would not close the door on heading back to Villa Park eight years after his departure.
“You never say never but Everton is my sole focus at the moment,” he said, as reported by the Mail.
“I look out for their results all the time. The majority of my friends are from Birmingham and supporting either Villa or Blues.”
While it may be an ambitious deal – Barry remains a fairly important player in Everton’s squad – Steve Bruce would arguably be foolish not to keep an eye on the business that the Toffees do in the summer in case the door to a potential move does open ever so slightly.
Currently, Barry has a contract at Goodison Park until 2018 (via transfermarkt), but with the 36-year-old well into the twilight of his career, Ronald Koeman would be forgiven for using the summer to find a long-term replacement for the former England international, especially with Morgan Schneiderlin and Idrissa Gueye perhaps able to hold down the role for the next few years.
Everton’s Gareth Barry
The Mirror has recently suggested that the Dutchman has some big plans for the summer, potentially looking to spend £100 million if Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley depart, and so, it would perhaps hardly be a surprise if a holding midfielder was amongst those brought in as they look to close the gap to the top four after a promising season.
Even if that is the case, Koeman may still want to keep Barry around, but if he does make the kind of signing that leaves the path clear for Barry to leave, Villa simply have to make a move.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
Barry is arguably still too good and too reliable a performer to agree to join a Championship side normally, but returning to Villa and potentially helping them return to the Premier League before he ends his career may prove too irresistible an opportunity to turn down if it is clear that he is destined for a year largely on the sidelines if he stays put.
Mile Jedinak has shown how important experience can be, having arguably been Villa’s best player this season, and adding Barry to their squad would surely be a fantastic addition and would provide a major boost to their promotion hopes.
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