Guardian: Gareth Barry will demand that Aston Villa's ambitions match his own for Champions League football before he agrees to a new contract. With Liverpool preparing a £12m offer for the England midfielder, Barry is in a strong bargaining position and will want to see just who is on the manager Martin O'Neill's summer shopping list before he commits his future to Villa Park. Villa face their local rivals Birmingham City tomorrow and are chasing Everton for a place in the Uefa Cup but that may not be enough to keep the 27-year-old. "Every player wants to play at the highest level. I want a chance to play Champions League at some stage in my career. "It's about medals. You want to finish with one bit of silverware and, hopefully, more. I've always said the ideal situation would be to do it at Aston Villa, but I've got to look at myself and be selfish." O'Neill, who revealed he had opened talks with Barry's advisers, said: "It's natural that someone who's established himself in the England setup and has been playing brilliantly for us for so long would be a possible transfer target. Obviously I desperately want to keep Gareth at the club, as do the other players, the chairman and the supporters. We're hoping to build something ourselves here."

Daily Mail: Gareth Barry will tell Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill that unless he recruits players capable of challenging the big four he may leave. With speculation mounting that the England midfielder is a summer target for Chelsea and Liverpool, the 27-year-old Villa captain said: "Every player wants to play at the highest level. I want a chance to play Champions League at some stage of my career. "I can't sit here and say I've not been well-paid over the last 10 years. So anything I do now will be the right thing for my career. I'm 100 times happier than I was two years ago and everything the manager promised me then is coming true. "But I've got to look at myself and be selfish as to what I want to achieve. "We need massive additions to get to that level. "As captain, I want to see what the club want to achieve. I will be speaking to the manager about it."

Sky Sports: Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry insists any claims about his future are just speculation after reports suggested he was set for a summer move to either Liverpool or Chelsea. The 27-year-old versatile midfielder has been instrumental in Villa's charge towards a Uefa Cup qualification spot, and Barry has also claimed a regular place in the England squad after a string of impressive recent displays. Despite reports that UEFA Champions League semi-finalists Liverpool and Chelsea are vying for his services, Barry insists his focus remains solely on the success of Aston Villa. "At this moment in time it's just speculation," Barry told Sky Sports News.

BBC: Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill says he is "desperate" to keep captain Gareth Barry at the club. The 27-year-old England midfielder has been linked with a move to Chelsea or Liverpool this summer. O'Neill told BBC WM: "We're going to do everything possible to keep him at the football club. "We're desperate for him to stay because he's a major part of it but I'm not surprised that loads of people are chasing him." Barry still has two years of his contract left to run and is due a testimonial, having signed professional forms for Villa in February 1998. Barry, who has been capped 17 times by England, told BBC WM: "It's certainly flattering to be linked with them [Chelsea and Liverpool], but I'm enjoying my football here. "There's still so much to play for at Villa and there's no reason to be sidetracked by anything else."

Sporting Life: Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry will seek assurances from manager Martin O'Neill regarding his summer transfer plans before deciding on his future. Barry is desperate to win trophies after a decade at Villa and believes the current squad needs considerably strengthening if he is to have a realistic chance of achieving that goal. The England midfielder is being linked with a move to Liverpool and knows he is approaching the peak of his career. O'Neill wants Barry, who has two years left of his current contract, to sign a new deal but assuring the player he intends to splash out in the transfer market will be a crucial element. Barry, who will lead the side in Sunday's derby clash with visiting Birmingham, said: "Does the squad need massive additions? I think it probably does especially if you look at the players who are probably going to be leaving. "The squad is pretty low in numbers at the moment - and you see the likes of Olof Mellberg, a great international player, leaving the club. "There are a couple more out of contract (Thomas Sorensen and Patrik Berger) that are going to be moving on. That is going to leave us even thinner in terms of numbers. "I would have thought the manager was looking at a lot of numbers coming in and not just any old numbers but quality numbers to add to the ones we've already got here."

Independent: The Birmingham City manager, Alex McLeish, is convinced his side's derby match with Aston Villa tomorrow will be the equal of anything he has experienced north of the border. McLeish and his Villa counterpart, Martin O'Neill, were both involved in Old Firm ties in Glasgow during their spells in charge of Rangers and Celtic respectively. The Blues also face a fight against relegation, making the three points at stake at Villa Park just as important as local bragging rights. "Sunday's game will compare favourably with the Old Firm matches - derby games are the same throughout the world," McLeish said. "There is great passion between the players as could be seen the other night and also the fans. I always like watching these games. Regardless of the fact that sometimes they are not the prettiest to watch, the will to win the games is always evident among both teams. "So I'm looking forward to it. It is another great part of my education in professional football and I will experience a different derby in a different country. Any derby you get a victory in is always special. I suppose my first Old Firm one, which was a cup semi-final at Hampden Park, when we beat Celtic 2-1, was very memorable. There was also a cup final as well."

Coverage From Abroad

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