O´Neill asks Lerner to help keep Barry

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill wants the club's owner Randy Lerner to help him persuade Gareth Barry to turn down a move to Liverpool.

O'Neill knows England midfielder Barry is on the verge of demanding a transfer after Liverpool made their interest clear.

Liverpool are reportedly ready to double Barry's wages as well as offering the lure of Champions League, but O'Neill is determined to keep his captain and has turned to American tycoon Lerner for support.

O'Neill confirmed he and Lerner will hold talks with Barry in the next 48 hours.

“I'm going to see the chairman in the next couple of days with a bit of luck and the two of us together might be able to persuade him to stay,” O'Neill said.

“We're going to be sitting down very shortly and discussing Gareth's future. We won't let this lie.

“All I know is he has never expressed one iota of unhappiness in my time at Villa Park. He might not have stayed that long had he been really unhappy before.

“Gareth is a demi-god at Villa Park. He has that reputation and he's playing for England and he hasn't had to move to another club to do that.

“I wouldn't want to be saying how confident we are (of keeping Barry). It's a different era we live in. We will see.”