REDS INCREASE CASH OFFER

Liverpool are prepared to make one final attempt this week to sign Gareth Barry by increasing their cash offer to £16m, but will contact Aston Villa before tabling the bid to ensure it will not be rejected for a fifth time.

Villa value Barry at £18m, a fee Liverpool believe they have met by offering £15m and defender Steve Finnan, who they value at £3m. In a bid to end the protracted saga, Liverpool will offer another £1m, but it is understood that is as high as they will go.

Arsenal are monitoring events if the deal falls through. It is believed that Barry would jump at the prospect of a switch to the London club.

JOHNSON HEADING OUT

Andy Johnson seems certain to be on his way out of Goodison Park, with both Wigan and Sunderland in the running for Everton’s England striker. Wigan have already had a £9m offer rejected, but plan to come back with an improved bid. Sunderland’s efforts to sign four Tottenham players seemed to have foundered, but the London club’s French defender Pascal Chimbonda was in the northeast yesterday for talks.

Afterwards he said: “I met Roy Keane and was extremely impressed with what he had to say.” Younes Kaboul, Steed Malbranque, and Teemu Tainio are the others involved

TONGUE THAI

Peter Reid has a language barrier to overcome as he prepares to take over as coach of Thailand’s national team with a brief that initially sees him taking charge of the country’s under19 side.

The excitable Scouser is difficult enough to understand in his native tongue but will surely be praying that his new charges can speak English because at 52 he will not relish the prospect of learning Thai.

Reid, who has had spells in charge of Sunderland, Leeds and Coventry, has reportedly agreed a four-year contract and will begin his new role on September 1. He will initially take charge of the country’s youngsters for the AFC Under19 Championship in Saudi Arabia in November before leading the senior side at the King’s Cup and Asian Football Championships at the end of the year. Financial restraints mean he is unable to appoint any backroom staff, but perhaps there will be some money for an interpreter

TALK IT UP LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

Wigan boss Steve Bruce may be excused for talking his players up but he has surely gone too far in labelling Amr Zaki, his new signing, the world’s best striker. Bruce has been involved in a long-running chase for the El Zamalek forward, with the two clubs believed to have agreed a one-year loan deal. Zaki is expected to cost an initial £1m, with an agreement to pay a further £5m next summer if he impresses.

Bruce is confident Zaki, who has scored 27 goals in 48 internationals, will be a hit at the JJB Stadium. “According to Fifa statistics, Zaki is rated No 1 in the world,” Bruce said. “He has scored better than one in two for his country and Egypt won the African Cup of Nations. He’s a big star there - I hope he can be for us.”

ITALIANS IN ANOTHER FIX

Just when you thought Italian football had managed to clean up its act . . . Serie A team Atalanta and Serie B club Livorno could begin next season with six-point penalties if they are found guilty in a match-fixing investigation. The Italian football federation’s prosecutor requested the penalties at a hearing of the disciplinary commission, which is expected to rule this week. The teams are accused of fixing the outcome of a match they played in May

INCE REVERSES EXIT TREND

Blackburn manager Paul Ince may be losing players, with the likes of David Bentley and Brad Friedel wanting to leave, but he has signed Chile midfielder Carlos Villanueva, according to the player’s agent.

Cristian Otero said Ince contacted him about striker Mauro Zarate, who was impressive at Birmingham last season, but the Argentinian has moved to Lazio. “I have a good relationship with Ince,” said Otero. “He wanted a similar player to Mauro Zarate so I took him videos of Villanueva and after watching them he decided to ask about a transfer”

NUGENT READY FOR MOVE

Portsmouth may sell David Nugent to help finance a move for Chelsea’s Shaun Wright-Phillips. Nugent has started only five league games and has scored three times since moving from Preston a year ago