Gareth Barry leaves Villa for Manchester City

Gareth Barry has left Aston Villa to join Manchester City in a deal worth around £12 million, ending 12 years at Villa Park.

The transfer was completed on 2 June.

A Villa servant

Barry joined Villa as a teenager in 1997 and went on to become one of the club's most important players, making hundreds of appearances and captaining the side. A versatile player who can play in midfield or at left-back, he has become a regular for England under Fabio Capello.

A long saga

The move ends a long saga. Last summer, Barry was the subject of intense interest from Liverpool, and a public row broke out between Villa manager Martin O'Neill and Liverpool's Rafael Benitez. Barry stayed at Villa for another season, but it has long been expected that he would leave this summer.

Barry has said he wants to play in the Champions League, and many supporters are disappointed that he has chosen Manchester City, who are not in the competition, after Villa narrowly missed out on the top four themselves.

City's ambitions

Manchester City, bought last year by the Abu Dhabi United Group, are spending heavily as they try to break into the top four. Barry is one of their first big signings of the summer, and more are expected.

Villa's season

Villa finished sixth in the Premier League this season, for the second year running. For much of the campaign they were in the top four, but a poor run in the second half of the season saw them overtaken by Arsenal.

Barry's departure leaves a big gap in the side, and O'Neill will be looking to use the transfer money to strengthen his squad. Owner Randy Lerner has backed the manager in the transfer market, and supporters will be hoping for significant signings.

Next season

Villa will again play in European competition next season, and will also have the Second City derby to look forward to, after Birmingham City won promotion to the Premier League. The first derby is expected in the autumn.

A mixed reaction

Many supporters have thanked Barry for his service, while others are frustrated that another of the club's best players has been sold. Barry is one of the last links with the Villa of the late 1990s, when he broke into the first team under John Gregory.

For O'Neill, the challenge now is to rebuild the midfield and keep Villa pushing for the Champions League places.

Barry's fee is one of the largest Villa have received for a player, and it adds to the money available to O'Neill as he looks to strengthen a squad that has shown it can compete with the best teams in the country.