Liverpool increase bid for Barry

Liverpool hope to pair Barry (left) in midfield with Steven Gerrard


Liverpool have made an increased offer of around £15m for Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry.

BBC Sport understands the new bid does not include any potential extra payments that would take the deal nearer to Villa's £18m valuation.

Liverpool are now waiting for Villa's response to their renewed bid.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill has said Barry, 27, will be granted his wish to join Liverpool - but only when his asking price is met.

Liverpool hope to finally resolve a protracted and increasingly acrimonious saga, but O'Neill is furious at how the Anfield club's interest in Barry became public.

Barry is scheduled to return to pre-season training with Villa on Thursday and is expected to confirm his desire to move to Liverpool.

O'Neill has been firm in his stance on the proposed move, saying: "If Liverpool meet our valuation, he will have his express wish to leave Villa Park granted."

Barry, 27, criticised Villa for not trying hard enough to keep him but O'Neill insists they want him to stay.

The player signalled his intention to move when he complained on Sunday about Villa's lack of urgency in speaking to him.
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If they want him its £18M....END OF STORY!
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"There's no going back, it's time for me to move on," he said.

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

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

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

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

But O'Neill has hit back to vehemently deny Barry's claim.

"The chairman and I were surprised at Gareth's comments," he said.

"Contrary to what he said, we desperately wanted to keep him - and he knows that."

Barry captained England for the first time and scored his first international goal during the recent friendly against Trinidad and Tobago.

Liverpool are keen to partner Barry in midfield with his England colleague Steven Gerrard.

Exclusive: Inter Milan say £7m Frank Lampard deal is done

Frank Lampard




Inter Milan last night claimed to have struck a £7m deal for Frank Lampard.

The Italian giants say they have reached agreement with Lampard and Chelsea for the midfielder.

It comes just 24 hours after the Blues signed Portugal star Deco, 31, from Barcelona in a £7.9m deal.

Lampard, 30, has been offered a four-year deal worth £24m in total - and the chance to play abroad and link up again with Jose Mourinho at Inter has proved difficult to resist.

Club president Massimo Moratti has yet to announce Lampard's capture publicly.

But privately Inter say the deal is done and that the England star will be unveiled at the San Siro once he returns from holiday in Sicily at the end of this week.

New Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari wants to follow up the Deco deal with a £10m move for Real Madrid's Robinho, according to the Brazilian superstar's agent Vagner Ribeiro.

"It is true that Chelsea are interested in signing Robinho," said Ribeiro.

"They have been for some time, and that interest has become much stronger since Scolari took over as their new manager.

"I have met with Chelsea's sporting director Frank Arnesen in London and he confirmed to me that they want the player for next season.

"Neither Robinho nor myself like that Real are prepared to use him as part of an exchange in their bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.

"We do not understand this attitude and we want them to begin to value Robinho - because they are not at the moment.

"Robinho is as good, if not better than Ronaldo. The only difference is that Ronaldo reached the Champions League Final and Robinho did not.

"Robinho's priority is to stay with Real, but he cannot be in a place where he is not valued and for the time being he is not. I'm not talking about money.

"I refer to the fact that he is being undervalued in comparison to Ronaldo."