Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill insists Gareth Barry
will not be leaving the club in a cut-price January
deal.
Barry was the subject of an £18 million summer transfer wrangle
between Liverpool and Villa, and publicly expressed a desire to
quit the Midlands for Merseyside.
The midfielder has settled back into the Villa side and has put
in a series of impressive displays that have helped the club into
fifth place in The Premier League.
But he has yet to commit his future to the club and could
reportedly buy out the remaining year of his contract next summer
for as little as £2 million.
"Cashing in on Gareth has never been a big concern - it
certainly wasn't in the summer for the owner of this club," O'Neill
told the Daily Star.
"If it had been we'd have taken a cut price for him then.
"I don't know if our success this season is having any effect on
Gareth's future here. We'll take it through to the window and see
what develops.
"I couldn't tell you for certain how he feels because I haven't
spoken to him about it.
"But there is time enough to think about it after Christmas.
"He is playing very well and has bounced back from the
disappointment of what went on in the summer.
"I don't know where we stand politically on players buying out
contracts. But if Gareth doesn't sign a new deal he will have one
year left to run after this season."