Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will make a firm move to trump Liverpool and Chelsea for Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry.

The Telegraph says Wenger faces strong competition for Barry from Liverpool, who made a players-plus-cash offer of around £10 million for the England midfielder last week, and Chelsea.

O'Neill and Barry will hold talks early next week to discuss the player's future and, while the Villa manager has been publicly bullish about the prospect of holding on to the 27-year-old, privately he accepts that Barry will move on to a club in the summer who can offer him Champions League football and the prospect of a significant hike on his £42,000-a-week salary.