Ronald Koeman has admitted Gareth Barry’s Everton exit was a ‘really difficult decision’.
The veteran midfielder ended his four-year association with Goodison Park as he joined West Brom on Tuesday in an initial 12-month deal.
Barry, who entered the final 12 months of his existing Blues contract this summer, chose to leave Everton as his first-team prospects became limited.
Tom Davies’ emergence and January’s arrival of Morgan Schneiderlin further lessened the 36-year-old’s playing time in his final season on Merseyside.
But Koeman concedes that Barry’s move to the Hawthorns was granted with a heavy heart.
He said: “It was a really difficult decision when Gareth came in and asked me to leave because he knew that maybe he didn’t play every weekend [last season].
“He’s still that player who is in love in football and [wants] to play.
“But in the first meeting what we had about this, I wasn’t happy because I was really happy to keep him in the team.
“We expect a tough season, a lot of games and you need more than three or four, or five midfield players.
“But okay, our relationship was on that level that I gave him the chance to go.”