Everton manager Roberto Martinez has admitted that he hopes Gareth Barry will stay at the club beyond the expiry of his loan deal from parent club Manchester City.
Martinez said that, while he was keen to bring in the midfielder permanently, there would be no movement until the end of the season.
"Gareth has been vitally important in what we have achieved so far this season and I would like that to be the case for many, many years to come, but that is a conversation we are going to have in the summer," Sky Sports News quotes Martinez as saying.
"The agreement was for the season and for Gareth to just enjoy his football and I don't want to change that. I don't think there is a real need. There is trust about what we agreed and all I want now is for Gareth to continue concentrating on his football for the second half of the season.
"I don't want him thinking about his future, which might distract him from enjoying his football and that was the agreement we had."
Everton are currently fifth in the Premier League.
Matt Domm
