Gareth Barry insists there is 'no going back' on his demand to quit Aston Villa in order to join Liverpool.

Villa have already rejected big-money bids from Liverpool for the midfielder and are reluctant to lose their captain.

But Barry, who has spent his entire career at Villa Park, wants the opportunity to play UEFA Champions League football with the Reds next season.

"My mind's made up, I want to join Liverpool," Barry told the News of the World.


Desperate

"There's no going back, it's time for me to move on.

"I'm desperate to play Champions League football and that's why I have to leave Villa."

The 27-year-old also expressed his disappointment with the lack of contact from Villa boss Martin O'Neill and feels the club have done nothing to persuade him to stay.

He added: "Villa kept saying they wanted me to stay, but I have not heard from the manager for weeks.


Flattered

"It's seven weeks now since the season finished, but while the gaffer's found time to be a pundit for the BBC at Euro 2008, he hasn't found the time to speak to me.

"But Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has shown how much he wants me at Anfield. I am obviously flattered that someone as successful as Rafa Benitez thinks so highly of me.

"And that he's not been afraid to put his valuation of me in black and white for Villa and all the world to see.

"But have Villa offered me anything to try to persuade me my future is at Villa Park, not Anfield? Not a thing."

Sky Sports

Chelsea have signed Deco from Barcelona. link

I see Lampard going. I don't see many foreign coaches letting Ballack go over Lampard, I mean he's English not Brazilian so he's no good right? 

It's gotta be either Lampard or Ballack that's leaving. Lampard leaving wouldn't really make sense to me. Why would you leave your home town where you're a star and guaranteed trophies.. to go to Inter?

Martin O'Neill today dismissed reports that Liverpool have made a 'take it or leave it' £15million bid for Gareth Barry.

And the Villa boss confirmed Barry has been disciplined by the club in the light of comments made to a national newspaper on Sunday.

Barry will not be returning for pre-season training tomorrow and O'Neill told www.avfc.co.uk: "There's no truth in this morning's reports and the situation remains the same.

"Gareth will not be returning to training tomorrow and he has been disciplined after giving an unauthorised interview to the News of the World."

AVFC

If I understand things correctly, Barry's contract states he must get club permission for media interviews -- something he didn't do for that Sunday interview. So being fined isn't  a big surprised. Banned from the property seems a bit harsh, but given his clearly stated desire to leave perhaps it's because he's deemed a negative influence etc on training.

Looks a little similar. Still never seen an Arsenal **** with so little white on it though!

Informal discussions have taken place over the potential sale of Newcastle to American investors.

It is understood representatives of owner Mike Ashley have met counterparts from New York-based private equity fund InterMedia Partners.

A report claimed Ashley named a price of £420m - about £286m more than he paid for the club a year ago.

Sources in America confirmed that the US company held initial talks, but Newcastle have not commented.

Former chairman Freddy Shepherd had already fought off a series of potential takeover bids when Ashley made his move last summer, eventually securing a £134.4m takeover.

He has since ploughed around £100m into the club to address the debt situation he inherited and to strengthen the squad.

Ashley has now embarked upon a economy drive in an attempt to slash transfer expenditure and a spiralling wage bill.

BBC

That's a joke right? It looks totally fake.

Yes, it's a joke. 

There would be anarchy if we had anything that looked like that!

Is it a 4th of July spoof?

Wenger admits Gunners are a selling club

Arsene Wenger has admitted Arsenal will probably have to sell their star players every year for nearly another two decades.

The Arsenal boss is currently trying to persuade Emmanuel Adebayor and Alexander Hleb not to follow Mathieu Flamini out of the club.

Adebayor has made it clear only a huge wage increase will persuade him to stay, but Wenger has revealed the ongoing cost of the move to the Emirates Stadium two years ago means, financially, his hands are tied.

'The strategy of the club is to sell every year and to buy less expensive players,' he told the News of the World.

'We manage at Arsenal to maintain all our football ambitions - national and European - while having to free up - for 17 more years - an annual surplus of £24million to pay for our stadium.

'The club's strategy is to favour the policy of youngsters ahead of stars and to count on the collective quality of our game.'

Wenger is frustrated by the financial power players have over clubs.

'If I had the power to change anything basic in football, it would be the transfer system which makes mercenaries of players,' he continued

'If they are bad ones, they stay and, if they are good, they think only of leaving.

'I have fought for them to earn a very good living, but I impose respect for their contract upon them.'

I'm not sure of the income tax structure in the UK, but the salary figures quoted for footballers '5 million a year' or '120,000 a week' are the pre-tax figures, I believe.

What do you all like in the away one, it's not that good at all.

It's black. And it's blue. What more does one need?