Lamps and Barry look set to stay put

England had been rocked this summer by transfer speculations. However two of the biggest stories which seemed to have a similar beginning now appear as though they will have a similar ending.

Gareth Barry’s proposed move to Liverpool and Frank Lampard’s move to Inter both began with the players requesting their moves to the proposed targets. All summer long these players have created quite a stir at both their clubs and it was always a coin toss away from whether or not their moves would materialize.

However recent reports carried on Foxsports.com suggest that both England international midfielders look set to stay put.

On Thursday Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill said he was likely to start Barry in an Intertoto Cup match on the weekend increasing speculation that O’Neill now appears to be including the player in his plans for the coming season.

“We haven’t heard back from Liverpool for some time and we’re not exactly sure where we all stand,” O’Neill said.

“My preference – and hopefully I’m speaking for a lot of Villa fans, if not all of them – is that we would like Gareth to stay at the football club. That would be great because it will be hard to replace him.”

Meanwhile over at Stamford Bridge Luiz Scolari is confident that Lampard will begin the new season with the Blues.

Scolari has said he feels the Chelsea star’s involvement in the pre-season tour is evidence of his commitment to the London club as he said, “I have said before, Frank is here, he is with us training and playing very well, he is an important player for us,”

According to a report on Setantasports.com England manager Fabio Capello has voiced his support for Lampard’s stay at the Bridge. As the national team coach, it is a safe assumption that his words would be highly influential in helping the London-based club hold on to the midfielder.

“As England coach I would prefer it if Lampard remained in England. He would have less travelling to do that way,” Capello told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

[Source: Foxsports.com/Setantasports.com]