Last Updated: Fri, 09 May 2008 16:28
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has hit out at Rafa Benitez and says they have not been in lengthy transfer talks over Gareth Barry.
The Liverpool manager has claimed that transfer talks have been going on for some time with regards a deal for Barry, but O'Neill says that is not the case as he gave the Spaniard a short, sharp no.
"I'm absolutely astonished at this story 'Rafa Exposes O'Neill' I've never denied speaking to Rafa Benitez so how can you be exposed for something you haven't denied?" said O'Neill.
"I think Rafa is being very clever here. He gives the impression that there's been constant dialogue. That's simply and utterly untrue.
"He made a phone call to me; I did not initiate the phone call. He asked about Gareth Barry and I said: 'Well he's got a testimonial and two years left to run and he's our best player. So what would the reaction be?'
"I said that I would speak to our owner - obviously because he has a big, big say in the proceedings - and I assumed he would have the same answer as myself, that Gareth wasn't for sale
"So I'm astonished to read this. The next conversation I had with Rafa Benitez was last Friday morning when Liverpool had put in a faxed offer to us which we received on Thursday afternoon.
"There was hardly time to speak to the chairman or to react to things before it was in the Liverpool Echo. The only reason Rafa Benitez was phoning me was to cover himself! It was as simple as that."