MARTIN O’NEILL says Gareth Barry is free to leave Aston Villa. The manager conceded yesterday that it was “clear as daylight” that Barry would get his wish to join Liverpool this month if they could raise the money.

O’Neill had said on Wednesday that Barry was staying at Villa Park after Liverpool missed a deadline to table an £18m bid. But Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has now been told he can have the England midfielder if he matches Villa’s valuation after Barry and his agent, Alex Black, met O’Neill on Thursday morning and pleaded for him to soften his stance.

Speaking after Barry was left on the bench for the 1-1 friendly draw at Reading, O’Neill said: “It is as clear as daylight that Gareth wants to go and Liverpool now have as long as they like to find the money. Liverpool will obviously get their wish and Gareth will get his wish at some stage or another.

“There is no point going on any further. The chairman [Randy Lerner] and myself are disappointed, but that’s the way it is. It is up to Liverpool and Gareth and his agent. The ball is firmly in Liverpool’s court.”

Barry had been expected to deputise yesterday at left-back for Wilfred Bouma; instead he sat on the bench.

O’Neill is unimpressed that Liverpool found the money to sign Robbie Keane in midweek but have been reluctant to match Villa’s valuation of Barry. “Liverpool made their intentions clear to sign Gareth almost four months ago and they have known for some time what the price would be,” he said. “They have been able to find money for another player who wasn’t in the equation, certainly four months ago and two months ago.”

O’Neill said the situation came to a head in the week: “I had a meeting with Gareth and his agent with our chairman last Monday and all parties agreed to a five o’clock deadline. That wasn’t a coercion, it was an agreement. It wasn’t a case of the deadline being imposed to confound everyone. Liverpool made their position clear before the deadline that they were unable to do anything at that stage, so because of that, the club was naturally delighted.

“We thought that was it, because we had the prior agreement with Gareth and his agent. Unfortunately, the next morning Gareth and his agent came to see me and said even though the deadline had passed, they still felt that Liverpool could do the deal.

“I gave it some thought and realised there is little point in pretending. Gareth would want to join Liverpool and therefore there would be no deadline. I have agreed with Gareth now. That’s it, no problem. Liverpool have all the time in the world to do it if they want to raise the money.”

Barry is not the only England player who could be on the move. Steve Coppell confirmed that Nicky Shorey was likely to leave. “We had a firm offer and it did not meet our valuation. But the chances are he will probably be gone by next week,” said the Reading manager.

Star man:Ashley Young

READING:Hahnemann, Rosenior, Duberry, Ingimarsson, Hunt, Kebe, Harper, Cisse, Convey, Lita, Doyle

ASTON VILLA:Friedel, Gardner, Laursen, Davies, Stieber, Routledge, Osbourne, Salifou, Maloney, Harewood, Carew

Referee:I Williamson

Attendance:7,271