Barry Uefa Cup role boosts Villa

Gareth Barry's appearance for Aston Villa in the Uefa Cup has complicated any possible move for the midfielder before the transfer window closes.

Barry, 27, started and scored against FH Hafnarfjordur, thereby ruling him out the Champions League group stages if he were to leave Villa.

And Villa boss Martin O'Neill remains unsure if Barry, who has been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal, will stay.

"I wouldn't be sure until the transfer deadline passes what will materialise."

O'Neill added after the match that it had been Barry's decision to play.

"I had a talk with him beforehand. He was in the right frame of mind and wanted to play and there was nothing that would have stopped him which was very pleasing," he said.

"He wanted to play and he knew the consequences so the decision was very much his."

O'Neill has repeatedly stated his desire to keep Barry, saying last month that he hoped he was speaking for all Villa fans in wanting the England international to remain at the club.

And the Villa manager has been critical of Liverpool's offers, with the Villans holding out for a fee in the region of £18m.

However, reports over the weekend suggested that Liverpool's owners felt Barry, a summer target for manager Rafa Benitez, was over-valued.

"On this occasion Liverpool think the price quoted is too high," said Reds chief executive Rick Parry said of the player's £18m valuation.

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Midfielder Barry had made no secret of his desire to leave Villa in order to play Champions League football for the Reds.

But if Barry were to move to either Liverpool or Arsenal, neither club would be able to use him in the group stages of the competition, if they were they qualifying ties against Standard Leige and FC Twente.

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