I have honestly been very undecided what to do, the manager and the whole club have bent over backwards to try and persuade me to stay and made me a fantastic offer which I am extremely grateful for.

But, after changing my mind lots of times, I came to the decision that the time was right for me and for the club to part company. I need a new challenge, I have a massive fear of going stale and falling into a comfort zone.

I believe the deal is a good one for the club, I am sure the manager will use the money well to strengthen the team and the club will go from strength to strength.

I am also excited now about my new challenge, a lot of people will question my decision to join Manchester City, but they were the club prepared to meet the valuation, which for a 28-year-old with a year left on his contract I think shows how much they wanted me.

Once I had spoke to Mark Hughes there was nowhere else I wanted to go, I was also desperate to avoid any long drawn out saga.

I feel I am joining a club that will seriously challenge to win major honours. People might doubt that, but I am convinced with the plans the club has short term and long term.

The backing the manager will receive from the owners tells me that we will be a major force.

Also the World Cup next year has always been a major part of my thinking. I feel at Manchester City I will get the chance to play regularly in my best position and play a big part in a successful side.

Time will tell if I am right or not, but those are my reasons.

I have grown bored of all the speculation surrounding me over the last 12 months and I am sure all the fans have as well, I am glad I never left last summer because I would have left under a huge cloud.

This year I feel things are different, I haven't used an agent. I have discussed things with my best friend (agent Michael Standing) but ultimately made my own choices.

I believe the situation has been handled properly by everybody involved. Once again I have to thank the manager and the club for that.

I genuinely wish the club all the best for the future and want to thank everyone who has helped and supported me in my time here.

For the rest of my life Aston Villa will be the first result I look for.

Thanks for everything.

Gareth Barry.

__________________________________________________



Allow me to translate:

Dear Aston Villa fans,
Cha ching!

GB

I know Man City are billionnaires and I also know our chairman has a lot of money too, after all, he does run two sports clubs.

But last season, Villa - challenging for top 4
Man City - struggling for survival at one stage

Oh well, no more loyalty in the game, just can use the money, get better strength in depth, chuck NRC back into the engine room with Petrov.

Not the biggest loss anyway, Laursen retiring is a bigger loss, look at us after he got injured, top 4 with, mid table without. Love to see Gary Cahill back, maybe even go for someone like Steven Taylor or Dave Wheater.

Someone for midfield, possibly a Kevin Nolan or Stewart Downing (although Boro will probably be able to charge stupid amounts for him)

For up front, if Mickey Owen can lower his wage demands, a strikeforce of Owen-Heskey with Carew-Agbonlahor would be two deadly strikeforces.

Just as long as Gabby and Young stay

Man u have agreed to pay tevez fee, but now have to wait for tevez to agree!

Real Madrid have announced they have completed the signing of Brazilian star Kaka from AC Milan on a six-year deal.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) earlier said he had a medical in Recife, where Brazil face Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
A press conference with Kaka has been planned for 0100 BST on Tuesday.

60 million for KAKA <---- that is a lot of money!

real madrid are spending loads of money on people
like kaka,ronaldo,benzema and more

Benzema agreed 6 year deal with Real Madrid. SHOCK!

how much years is kaka and ronaldo staying in real madrid

Ronaldo i think has a 4 year contract, there putting a price on him of 1billion.. so hopefully if he plays rubbish they cant get rid of him haha, i think kaka's contract is 4 or 5 years.

owen at man utd?? what is going on he's long past it hell never get a game

Ronaldo and Kaka agreed 6 year contracts, and Owen is being signed as a bench warmer for Rooney and Berbatov, the only reason hes being signed for is probably cos hes free and can pay him peanuts.

in the owen to man u thread, i can't remember who said it but someone mentioned that owen only went to man u because he wants more money, but he's actually taken a wage cut compared to what he was on at newcastle. his man u deal is based on performance bonuses so he has to play well to earn bigger money

and owen moving to man u can only be good for england and english football. if he and rooney start playing together every week and owen gets his form back then they'll be lethal together

i'm one of the owen doubters admittedly. in my opinion he's never done anything special for england except for the argentina wonder goal, and the hat trick against germany. but that being said, if owen is fit and in form then there's no other striker who can do a better job for england. except rooney lol so play them together and we'll see how capello uses them, and see how well they do in south africa next year

owen's career went down hill at newcastle because he was injured all the time, and in a rubbish squad! so i want to see him back to his best. he still has the pace and ability he once had, and with bags of experiance at the highest levels. who else would you put in front of a fit and in form owen?

oh yeah i've just read in the sunday paper, they reckon john terry wants to go to man city on 300k a week!!! and they're gonna offer £40m for him, and about £35m for etoó from barcalona. if they get everyone they want, it should make for an interesting season!

still, none of you premier league big boys will be ready for the might and wrath of leicester city in a couple years time!!!


*sigh*

i read that eto will drop his wage demands to go to man u.

Maybe everything is not about money .

The owen this is a win/win situation he was a free transfer and is proven to have best strike rate going around, the vital part is to stay fit. one other factor could have been the new rule about have 6 english players in a team!!!

Agreed! Plus he is on a play and get paid contract so if his out half the season on injury we dont pay him... as for Eto'o i can't ever see that happening, he loves barcelona and would not give up a chance to play for the european champions for anything... barcelona are always going to be challenging for the champion's league and Eto'o knows that

Zhirkov signed for chelsea today

Eto looks like he wants to leave after they don't want to meet his wage demands, he looks set to leave for man city!

Manchester City have got Carlos Tevez

Meh he's a genius...city a better prospect than united anyway..