Summer wouldn’t be summer without some drawn out transfer that’s taking too long to get sorted. For once, we’re not talking about that nancy Ronaldo and his dreams of playing in all white. Like every Liverpool fan, we’re talking about one Gareth Barry and the tug-o-war between us and the Villains. Manager Martin O’Neil has some illusions that a 27 year old Englishman with only a handful of caps is worth a staggering £18 million. The gaffer, the board & the rest of the sane world beg to differ.

The one major stalling point with this whole protracted transaction has been the Alonso factor. We know Juventus want him. Let’s all be fair, they would be a right bunch of fools if they didn’t. Alonso is one of the best passers in the game and would be absolute boss playing in a slower, more tactically driven league like Serie A. Claudio Ranieri, even though he managed though jokers over at the Bridge, wasn’t born yesterday. He knows what Alonso is worth and £16 million might be a little much but not too far out of the park. Re-uniting Xabi and former Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko (legend!) is nothing short of genius. So what’s the hold up? Paying a close to approximate figure for a player who in the last 4 years has won the Euros, an FA Cup and the frickin’ Champions League is nothing like the ransom we’re being held to for a player with only a handful of caps who’s won sweet FA in his years in Birmingham.

Regardless of price, the point of this little rant is I’m getting sick of this back and forth verbal posturing. Gareth has been our top priority in the signing department since the end of the season. We had the inevitable press leak. We had the “shock and awe” from the feisty Irishman. We had the “Me? Do something wrong?” from the wily Spaniard. Now we need a check to be written to and reluctantly cashed by Villa. Sign me up a midfielder and let’s get this whole debacle over with. Stevie wants him. Rafa wants him. Tom Hicks wants a hotdog (no relish please) & I want to get back to thinking up “Big Phil” jokes.