Barry Bannan toys with the Sword of Damocles, holds up transfer

"Boy it must be great to have all that negotiating power," said Barry Bannan to his agent one day. "After not playing for so long, I'd love to have just one part of my life in my hands."

And so it was that Barry Bannan told Blackburn that he'd rather not take their money at the current time, and would instead hold out for a better offer from elsewhere. And for the moment, it felt liberating and free. Barry, who had strode in the shadows of giants his whole life, felt as if he were at the top of a mountain.

But, at the height of his joy, he happened to look up. There, above his head, he saw his playing career dangling by a single hair, ready to plummet to the ground and shatter. "What's this?" Barry asked his agent.

"Well, wee one, you do have all the power. But with that power comes responsibility. You can hold out for more money, but from my vantage point, no one else is coming. Might be best just to take the money and play while you still have the chance."

Barry surveyed his situation. It hadn't been great to be just another player, and the power he felt from holding out was intoxicating. But boy did he sure love playing football, and he'd really hate for that to go to waste.

We'll check in on Barry soon to see which decision he makes, on the next episode of 7500 Parables.