Reports have suggested Barry is on more than £100k a week after joining Man City, a figure Liverpool would have offered around half that amount.
“Maybe it’s just me but in this market now, money is not the main thing,” Benitez said. “Everyone at this level earns big money. You have to enjoy [it], make decisions, do your best in the right way.
“If it’s just for money sometimes you will make mistakes, like Gareth Barry. I won’t say too much but it [his move to City] was clearly for money – 100 per cent. It’s not a bad thing to miss out on him. The most important thing is to know the passion of the player.
“We did go back again for Barry, but as I said it is all about money, money, money. It is as simple as that. It was difficult, some clubs are offering big money. But he [Johnson] wanted to come here, that was the difference. City have signed a lot of good players, but that is no guarantee they will win anything. It will be interesting to see what happens next season.”