Derby County: Rams ready to up Barker bid
The Rams have had a bid of £400,000, rising to £500,000 plus add-ons, rejected for the 26-year-old centre-back.
But the sale of full-back Tyrone Mears to Burnley for £500,000 plus add-ons and the imminent departure of striker Emanuel Villa to Mexican club Cruz Azul should put Derby in a position to return for Barker and Crewe's 21-year-old defender John Brayford, whom Nigel Clough nurtured at Burton Albion.
"Tyrone's move has been completed and we are just going through the documents on Tito Villa. We are looking towards maybe the end of the week if everything goes smoothly for that to be tied up," said Clough.
Asked if the departures would boost the finances to bring more players in, Clough replied: "We hope so.
"Once Tito's move is confirmed that will give us the finances to chase a defender, which we will be doing straight away.
"We are still talking (to Blackpool) and, hopefully, we will be going back in the next few days.
"We have made offers for both players (Barker and Brayford), which have been rejected, so we are in the process of drawing up fresh offers which will go in as soon as we can."
Blackpool are holding out for £1m for player-of-the-year Barker, a valuation the Rams appear reluctant to meet.
Blackpool's new boss Ian Holloway says he wants Barker to stay.
He has drawn up a list of replacements should Barker leave but adds that initial inquiries about bringing in another defender have left him shocked.
Holloway claims potential replacements – all from lower league clubs – are "ridiculously" overpriced and would cost almost as much as Blackpool would receive for Barker.
"I have already asked other clubs about their players and given the chairman three or four targets just in case Shaun goes," said Holloway.
"So they're already lined up to some extent.
"However, the insulting thing is that the people we've inquired about, their clubs are asking for almost more than we've been offered for Shaun.
"It is a ridiculous situation. It really is.
"You can call our valuation for Shaun ridiculous but ours is based on fact."
Nottingham Forest are reported to be interested in Barker, who was born in Trowell.
Clough has added Lee Croft, Dean Moxey, Jake Buxton and Ben Pringle to the squad for the new season and would like to bring in a few more.
"I think two or three ideally, may be four depending on the goalkeeper situation" said Clough.
"A couple of clubs are after Lewis Price, maybe for a season-long loan where he can go out and play some games, which he desperately needs to do. That would mean we will bring a keeper in.
"We would prefer to have had more new arrivals at this stage but it does not always work out like that.
"As long as they come in at some point.
"We've got to wait to see what happens with Tito by the end of the week and then we will get cracking after that.
"The chairman cannot work any harder than he is doing."
Clough wants to slim down his squad and a number of players have left.
Mile Sterjovski and Andy Todd have joined Australian club Perth Glory. Nathan Ellington, Przemyslaw Kazmierczak, Nacer Barazite, John Eustace and Barry Bannan have returned to their clubs following loan spells and this week Mears has linked up with Burnley.
Centre-half Claude Davis could also leave.
Crystal Palace have shown an interest in Davis, who is away with Jamaica in the United States for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Clough said: "I think he is away until the end of July, so when he gets back, I think he will make a decision then."
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