No cheeky bid for Gareth Barry then?

Last summer he wanted Champions League football with Liverpool.

This summer he's opted to talk to City - who are probably the one club to have had a bid accepted by Villa - meaning even if another club matched the bid they would still fail miserably in matching the wages on offer.

Does this mean Barry has a gun pointing at his head, forcing him to earn a ridiculous amount of money for a team that’s arguably only considered big due to the investment pumped into the club from the Middle East rather than any recent history - because they are the only viable option?

Villa came closer to 4th spot than City did this season (the latter nowhere near it) so if Barry wants to better himself by playing in the elite European cup competition, is he not better off where he is? Or are we to believe that signing for City is not about the money but its about matching his personal ambition with Man City's aim to be the very best?

People seem to forget the fact that Chelsea were Top 4 before Roman turned up with his money and the instant rock'n'roll attraction that pulled in the likes of Jose and any top class player willing to play over here in the EPL.

Can anyone really see Mark Hughes cracking it in the next season or two without a true foundation in place to accomodate all the super-star signings? Or will be be shrewd and build logically? Signing Barry would suggest that. The owners will continue to tempt the likes of Kaka and David Villa, but in reality they are unlikely to sign.

By the way, yes, I'm bitter that we won't be signing him. No idea whether we've even managed a cheeky bid or not but I guess he rates City as the only club outside the top 4 who have a chance of breaking up the monopoly. Maybe he wont consider us for the simple fact that we shag it up all the time so we are not a viable option due to our transitional habits.

Surprised he hasn't waited to see if Arsenal could afford him - but then they won't be offering him anything near what he'll be able to command at Eastland's. Then again, maybe they did inquire and got turned down.

So at the end of the day, can you blame him for going to City (if he does)? Arguably, you could say City have the best chance of getting into the top four mix because of the money they can offer to players. And there's obviously a buzz about the place because of the belief and hype surrounding every signing.

But spunking money is no guarantee for success. We know that more than most.

My opinion? It will all end in tears. Fingers crossed.