Gareth Barry tells Aston Villa: I won’t hold you to ransom

Dec 4 2008 by Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

with Hearts to move to Wigan two summers ago which set a precedent for players wanting to “buy” themselves out of clubs.

Senegal goalkeeper Tony Sylva left Lille for Trabzonspor under the same ruling and Jonas Gutierrez did the same when he left Mallorca for Newcastle.

Article 17 of FIFA’s Regulations states that any player who signed a contract before the age of 28 can buy himself out of the contract three years after the deal was signed.

The window is shortened to two years if he is 28 or older.

Barry turns 28 in February and signed his last four-year deal in August 2006.

He could therefore switch next summer for £2.5million – his annual wage –with Villa receiving a small compensation figure on top.

But he appears to not have any interest in doing so.

Barry said: “Being honest, I don’t even know the rules of it. I see it being witten about, there’s bits and bobs that you can only go abroad.”

There is a widely held belief that Barry could only use the ruling if he were to move abroad.

But he insists he wants to remain in the Premier League, which will no doubt keep Liverpool keen aswell as keeping Arsenal, Tottenham and perhaps Chelsea and Manchester United on alert.

Barry says he is unsure of the ins and outs of the Webster rule but he has clearly not used it as a bargaining tool against Martin O’Neill.

“It’s nothing I’ve mentioned to the manager or he has mentioned to me,’’ he said.

“It’s something that’s been thrown out there but, at the same time, when you are thinking about options you do go down every route and the best thing for yourself.

“It’s a difficult one. You don’t spend 11 years at a club and not think about them and at the same time you understand the fans’ feelings because they are Aston Villa through and through.

“But as for moving abroad? I can’t really answer that now.

“It’s something you would never rule out but the Premier League is the place to be.

“It’s talked about as the best league in the world and that’s the way I see it so I would rather be playing here.”

Barry says the prospect of the big four chasing his services next summer is not something that he is dwelling upon.

“I’m not thinking about it. I think I would be wrong to be thinking any further than tonight’s game, or the weekend at this moment.

“It wouldn’t be the right thing to be doing.

“Hopefully when the time comes in April or May we will be looking at Aston Villa in a strong position rather than thinking about my posiition.”