Barry won't join Chelsea

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has denied rumours that midfielder Gareth Barry will be heading for the exit door this summer. Reports emerged that Chelsea could be set to offer £8 million to land the England international this summer.

“I don't know where these stories are coming from and Gareth has another two-and-a-bit years left on his contract” the Villa manager said.

“He has been linked with Chelsea for a couple of seasons now but no-one from Chelsea has ever contacted me about him and they have had a couple of managers and the same chief executive during that time” he added.

“Gareth is a quality player and, after breaking into the England set-up, he has solidified his place in the squad, which has been great for his confidence.

“He was back to his very best last weekend after a slump which all of us had been experiencing for a week or two before that.”