Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neil has admitted he would have to be open to selling midfielder Gareth Barry, who has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool for two years.

Barry has one year remaining on his contract at Villa Park, after eleven years of service to the Birmingham club, but is thought to still be a top-target of Rafa Benitez’s, despite the Spaniard failing to capture his signature last summer.

And now O’Neil says he may have to be forced to let Barry go if a better offer comes along for the England international.

“We would like him to stay but we understand that he’s been at the club for 11 years,” O’Neill told the BBC.

“If someone came in with the offer of the Champions League, then that’s something that we would look at.”