A full year has passed since Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez first started chasing midfielder Gareth Barry for his signature and the chance to put on the red shirt of Liverpool and play in the Champions League. The now former Villa star was quoted on numerous occasions last summer as saying that European football mean more to him than anything else.

Well apparently there is one more thing Barry values more than European football, and that’s the chance to make £100,000-a-week (which is more than double is current salary) playing for a club that didn’t even qualify for the Europa Cup.

Do I smell greed

In a move that many probably saw coming, Manchester City went about turning their current club into a full-fledged all-star squad by making Gareth Barry the first transfer of what should be an interesting ride for the richest club in football.

The move for Barry ended up costing Manchester City £12m, which is roughly £1-3m less than what Liverpool reportedly offered Villa last season for the midfielder’s services. One would have to assume that Villa knew this day would come, but given the strained relationship between Martin O’Neill and Rafa Benitez after last summer, it wouldn’t come with Liverpool being on the receiving end.