Martin O'Neill has reacted furiously to a newspaper report suggesting he has thrown in the towel and will allow Gareth Barry to join Liverpool.

O'Neill has strenuously put forward his desire to keep the Claret and Blue skipper at Villa Park despite interest from the Anfield club.

And the Villa boss has reiterated this stance after reading this evening's back page story in the Birmingham Mail, which claimed that he would not stand in Barry's way and that the Villa skipper could go if the 'price was right'.

O'Neill told www.avfc.co.uk: "I have not said anything of the sort. To suggest I would be happy to sell Gareth is simply not true.

"I did say that no club would want to keep an unhappy player but at no time has Gareth expressed any displeasure about his time at Villa.

"We are doing everything we can. We are determined to keep Gareth at Villa Park. To say that I am resigned to losing him is simply not the case."