Sun: GARETH BARRY faces the biggest decision of his career ? and the boss who launched him admits he fears the worst for Aston Villa. Ten years ago this weekend, John Gregory unleashed a fresh-faced Sussex teenager on to the Premier League scene. Now Barry, 27, is captain of his club, tipped to become the next England skipper, and is a £10million target for Liverpool. It has brought the memories flooding back for Gregory, who had to sit back and watch Dwight Yorke and Mark Bosnich move to Manchester United when he was in charge. Barry has promised an answer on his future in the summer. And ahead of Villa's home game with Wigan today, Gregory admitted: "I really hope Villa can hang on to him. "It's a big test for the club, for Martin O'Neill and for Gareth. He is one of the best players to grace a claret and blue shirt. "Villa is a huge club but it's not as big as Manchester United or Liverpool. If that group of clubs come knocking it will be hard to turn them down. "Yorke went to United and I couldn't stop him. He went there and won the Treble so how can you argue with that? "These are things Martin will not be able to promise him when the big boys show an interest."

Sun: MARTIN O'NEILL will call Rafa Benitez to slam the Kop bid for Gareth Barry. The Aston Villa chief raged: "It's not how the Liverpool of old did business. "They were the one club you never got a thing out of until it was done." O'Neill is fuming at the way the Anfield giants have gone public with their £10million offer for Villa's England midfield star. And he has accused Liverpool of being deliberately disruptive on the eve of a crucial league game against Wigan. O'Neill added: "I am disappointed and that's an understatement. "I have spoken to the chairman and Randy Lerner is equally disappointed ? and that's an understatement. "It's a deliberate unsettling tactic and particularly disruptive the day before a game. "It's not how I would like to conduct business. I will be returning the call and maybe speak to Rafa and I will make the point to Liverpool."

Daily Mail: Martin O'Neill has launched a withering attack on Liverpool and accused them of deliberately unsettling Gareth Barry after receiving a "disrespectful" offer for his England midfielder. The Aston Villa boss was fuming after receiving a faxed bid for Barry from the office of chief executive Rick Parry on Thursday afternoon and has hit back at the Merseysiders, insisting that Villa are not a feeder club. In a barbed response, O'Neill questioned the prevailing ethics at Anfield, suggesting that the Liverpool of old would never have operated in a manner that was tantamount to a public tapping-up of 27-year-old Barry. O'Neill was incensed that less than 24 hours after he received a letter from one of Parry's colleagues, a story was leaked in Liverpool suggesting that Rafael Benitez had made a £10million offer. "To say I'm disappointed would be a massive understatement," he said. "I had a fax on Thursday afternoon. It was signed as a pp on behalf of the chief executive. I've not had time yet to answer it formally. "There was no £10m cash offer. It was an offer of cash plus a mishmash of nameless players. I've disregarded it. However, there is the possibility of me faxing back and saying I'd consider a cash deal for Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard ? although it might be the case that they don't want to leave Liverpool. "You know, Aston Villa Football Club has ambitions. For us to break into the Champions League demands very good players."

Times: Martin O'Neill, the Aston Villa manager, has launched a scathing attack on Liverpool over what he believes to be the Merseyside club's "deliberate" and "disrespectful" attempt to unsettle Gareth Barry. O'Neill received a fax from Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, on Thursday afternoon offering a number of unspecified players in a £10million part-exchange deal for Barry, the Villa captain. Given the importance of Villa's game at home to Wigan Athletic today - when victory would move them into fifth place, above Everton, who do not play until tomorrow, away to Arsenal - O'Neill said that he was appalled by the timing of Liverpool's approach and dismissed the offer out of hand. "There was no £10million cash offer," O'Neill said. "It was an offer of cash-plus-mish-mash of nameless players. I've disregarded it. However, there is the possibility of me faxing back and saying I'd consider a cash deal for Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, although it might be the case they don't want to leave Liverpool."

Star: FURIOUS Martin O'Neill has blasted Liverpool over an 'insulting' bid to try to lure away England ace Gareth Barry. The Aston Villa boss could barely contain his anger as he launched a scathing attack over a faxed approach from Anfield. Liverpool offered unspecified players plus cash for the midfielder, prompting O'Neill to sneer: "I'll take Torres and Gerrard!" He added: "I basically disregarded it. It wasn't a cash offer. It was a mishmash with cash and the possible exchange of unspecified players. "I find it disrespectful. They didn't even mention names of players, not that we want to sell. "Well, if that's the case, I might ask them to let me have Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard then, though it might just be that they don't want to leave Liverpool. "It's disruptive and it's not the way the Liverpool of old would have done business. We are not a feeder club and letting our very best players go is not what we want to do."

Guardian: Martin O'Neill faces a major test of his powers of persuasion after he confirmed that Liverpool have made an offer for Gareth Barry, the England international he has sought to build a team around. Liverpool's interest has been mooted for some time but the Villa manager is deeply upset that details of the bid, which values Barry at around £10m, have been leaked on Merseyside. More worrying for O'Neill, however, is that Barry is likely to be attracted to the prospect of moving to Anfield. O'Neill, who has aspirations of breaking the big-four stranglehold, insisted that Villa are "not a feeder club" although he will also be aware that, at the moment, he cannot offer Barry the Champions League football he craves. Two years ago the Villa manager was able to persuade Barry to stay at the club, when the 27-year-old was on the verge of joining Portsmouth after becoming disillusioned with the previous regime but this time, with Liverpool in pursuit, the task appears more difficult. Liverpool have offered cash plus players for Barry, although it highly unlikely that Peter Crouch's name, a Villa target, is among those made available. Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, would not comment on the offer for Barry yesterday but he did confirm that Crouch has been offered a new contract. The makeweights in the deal are more likely to include Scott Carson, who has been on loan at Villa this season, and John Arne Riise, who will leave Liverpool in the summer.

Independent: Martin O'Neill is still keen to keep hold of Barry if at all possible - his meeting with chairman Randy Lerner next week may help formulate a new contract offer - and in a firm swipe at Liverpool yesterday he insisted that Villa were "not a feeder club". Liverpool's offer, O'Neill said, had involved "a mish-mash of nameless player exchanges" and was destabilising amid Villa's chase for a Uefa Cup place. "We've got two important games coming up. Liverpol's season might effectively be over as they have qualified for the Champions League and their interest in this season's Champions League ended a couple of nights ago," O'Neill said. Sources close to Barry said the player was not aware of the bid and was waiting until the end of the season to consider his future. But whatever Villa's offer, the prospect of European football next season may prove irresistible, even if Liverpool do have more mountains to climb come August.

Telegraph: Martin O'Neill yesterday attacked Liverpool for leaking details of their bid to sign his captain, Gareth Barry, and pledged to do everything in his power to keep him at Aston Villa. The 27-year-old, who has been at Villa Park for a decade, has indicated he wanted to win medals as well as respect, which could only have encouraged Liverpool to table their £10 million offer. The Aston Villa manager treated the bid with derision, claiming it was not even a straight cash offer but one involving "a mish-mash of nameless player exchanges".

Sporting Life: Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is "particularly disappointed" at the timing of Liverpool's offer for his captain Gareth Barry. O'Neill confirmed on Friday that he has received an offer from Liverpool for the Villa skipper. The former Celtic manager, whose side meet Wigan on Saturday afternoon as the continue their bid for European qualification, insisted the Reds have made a player exchange offer for 27-year-old Barry, who has two years left of his current contract. The Villa chief, upset that the story has been made public, is understood to be interested in bringing Liverpool striker Peter Crouch back to Villa Park. Goalkeeper Scott Carson, currently on loan at Villa, and defender John Arne Riise could also come into the equation if a cash-plus-players deal materialises. But O'Neill would still want to keep hold of Barry if at all possible and insists Villa are "not a feeder club".

Mirror: Aston Villa Wigan Olof Mellberg, who is joining Juventus at the end of the season, could miss his Villa Park farewell after being laid low by illness. Craig Gardner is still struggling with a thigh strain that has forced him to miss the last five games. Wigan boss Steve Bruce thinks striker Emile Heskey will recover from an ankle injury. Ryan Taylor fills in at right-back for captain Mario Melchiot (groin), who's sidelined with Erik Edman. Lawro says... O'NEILL ON EURO CHARGE, VILLA WIN 2-0

Fox Sports (Australia): LIVERPOOL have kicked off what promises to be a busy transfer period by tabling a £10 million ($21.19 million) bid for Aston Villa's England midfielder Gareth Barry. Reds boss Rafael Benitez has identified Barry, 27, as the key to strengthening his midfield and the Villa captain is reportedly keen on a move to a Champions League club. Chelsea are also believed to be interested but Barry may be swayed by the chance of linking up at club level with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, with whom he has forged a good understanding in the England midfield.

Coverage From Abroad

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