Sunday, July 20, 2008

Rafa Benitez hopes Gareth Barry will be with Liverpool within a week


Rafa Benitez believes Gareth Barry could be a Liverpool player within a week.
The Anfield boss - who has finally agreed Peter Crouch's £10million move to Portsmouth - expects to conclude the compromise deal that will mean he pays out the £15m that he bid for the Aston Villa midfielder four days ago.
But it will allow include a series of add-ons, such as further England appearances, which will allow Martin O'Neill to claim he got the total of £18m he has held out for all along.
Villa manager O'Neill effectively showed the door to Barry by banning him from any of the club's premises and fining him two weeks' wages - about £60,000 - for the player's criticism of him.
All that remains to be done is for his departure to Liverpool to be announced and O'Neill is understood to be anxious that the matter be resolved so he and his players can focus completely on the forthcoming season.
Liverpool also expect to sign Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri from Palmeiras for £3m shortly as cover for Pepe Reina.
Cavalieri is organising a work permit and will join new signings Philipp Degen and Andrea Dossena.
They will be joined by Barry as Crouch bids farewell to Anfield. Liverpool had hoped they could use the England striker in a part-exchange move for Tottenham's Robbie Keane but Crouch has stuck to his guns and his departure will be confirmed within 48 hours..

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