The Gareth Barry transfer saga could go right down to the wire as Liverpool are reportedly not going to meet £18million asking price while Aston Villa are set to start pre-season training without their captain, who wants to leave for Anfield and it could be the end of August by the time he gets his wish.

The Reds have been thwarted in their four earlier bids that have fallen well short of the valuation, while Villa boss Martin O’Neill has declared that there is no letting the England midfielder go unless the right offer comes in.

According to The Sun, the Reds are ready to give a maximum fee of £15m, but the standoff over the valuation could be resolved with clauses of added on incentives.

In the process the 27-year-old long-serving Villa player’s situation has apparently become untenable at Villa Park after he blasted O’Neill in a Sunday newspaper interview. Barry has reportedly been fined £100,000 for criticising O'Neill over the handling of his proposed move, to add to the ban on returning for pre-season training. Moreover, fans groups have apparently turned against the midfield star.

Villa head for a pre-season training camp in Switzerland on Tuesday.