After breaking the news that Villa were interested in a cut price deal for Joey Barton a few weeks back, many of you were torn as to whether signing the troublesome midfielder would be good business. After Newcastle rejected talk that Barton could be sold for as little as £1.5m, Villa manager Gerard Houllier seemingly cooled his interest. However, in the Daily Mail today they reported that the Frenchman was willing to use Nigel Reo-Coker in a part-exchange deal for the ex-Man City man. Reo-Coker is yet to renew a contract with the club as his deal runs out in the summer, despite the manager stating that he wanted the tireless midfielder to stay. The former West Ham manager is reportedly holding out for more money than Houllier is willing to offer and talks appear to have broken down. It now seems that the boss is trying to cut his losses amid fears that the vice-captain could leave the club on a free at the end of the season, by using Reo-Coker in a like-for-like swap with Barton. What do you make of this suggestion? With a low fee touted for Barton previously, surely it can’t have risen too significantly to have to depart with a first team regular and cash to land the controversial midfielder. In my opinion they are pretty similar in calibre and qualities although Barton does possess some of the creative and passing attributes in which Reo-Coker is lacking. I personally don’t really want Barton at the club as I feel it would cause further detriment to an already shattered harmony within the squad but what do you think? Does Barton have the passion and playmaking abilities that Villa seem to be lacking in the middle of the park?
Transfer News
Villa to Use Reo-Coker in Barton Barter
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