Englishman’s days in the north west now appear numbered.
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Serie A high-flyers Napoli are interested in signing unsettled Manchester City midfield player Gareth Barry this summer, according to reports in Tutto Sport.
The experienced England international’s current future at Eastlands is very much up in the air, with the 32-year-old still to receive any concrete assurances from new City head coach Manuel Pellegrini about his long-term future in the north west.
The holding midfield player’s present contract with the mega-rich Premier League outfit now only runs until June 30 2014, and with still no sign whatsoever about the club offering Barry a new deal to extend his stay at the Etihad stadium beyond next summer, the player is understood to be seriously considering his future at City.
Barry has been at the club for the past four seasons now, having originally been brought to Manchester from Aston Villa by previous boss Roberto Mancini on a five-year contract for a fee of £12 million in June 2009.
And in the intervening four-year period, the defensive midfield player has racked up 175 appearances in total for City, scoring eight goals in the process.
However, with new Napoli manager Rafa Benitez once again expressing an interest in Barry after the ex-Liverpool trainer tried to sign him while in charge at Anfield, the Englishman could have now played his final game for City as he seeks to preserve his place in the England squad ahead of next year’s World Cup by moving to Naples.