Gareth Barry has moved to head off speculation in the approaching transfer window by reassuring Martin O'Neill that he will remain to spearhead Aston Villa's attempt to qualify for the Champions League.

The England midfield player, who almost joined Liverpool for £18 million last summer, has committed himself to the Villa cause for at least the rest of this season. With Villa looking to move into third place in the Barclays Premier League if they can follow up excellent performances against Arsenal and Manchester United by beating Fulham today, Barry could earn himself the ideal set of alternatives next summer if he helps his present employers to qualify for Europe's elite competition.

“We've had a wee chat and he wants to put all the speculation to one side,” O'Neill said. “He wants to see it out here until the summer at least and see where we are all positioned at that time. Any speculation in January will be nothing more than that. I couldn't be more pleased. His form's very good for us, as is his form for England, and now he can just concentrate on his football, not having to worry abut other things.”

O'Neill accepts that Barry, who turns 28 in February, could buy out the remaining year of his contract at the end of the season but he is gratified that Randy Lerner, the chairman, would prefer to sacrifice an eight-figure transfer fee to retain the short-term services of a player who could help Villa to unlock the door to Champions League football.

“I accept that in the summer he'll have a year left to run and all the options will be open to him,” the Villa manager said. “He'll be in the driving seat, if he continues to perform in the manner he is doing, and if we're making the sort of progress we want to as a football club ... this is something he'll think about in the summer. If we are well placed, and he's going as well as possible, who knows what might materialise?

“We've had a player that I thought in August we weren't going to have - and it's not like he's moped and moaned, he's got on with it and continued to play splendidly. It's been a big bonus for us and it goes without saying that players here are delighted with it. The fans appreciate he's given exceptional service here over a long period of time - and until the summer, will continue to do so.”

Barry has dispensed with the services of Alex Black and will work without an agent in the short term. “He's got some really good friends around him for any advice he needs,” O'Neill said. “My advice would be to sign for another 15 years.”

One player's future that seems more equivocal is John Carew, who, suffering from continuing back problems, misses today's game with Fulham. O'Neill is likely to go with Gabriel Agbonlahor as a lone striker again as he looks to build on the four points gained against Arsenal and United.