Liverpool face a serious battle to retain the services of Javier Mascherano after it emerged that Barcelona are determined to take the Argentina midfield player to the Nou Camp at the end of the season.
Mascherano joined Liverpool in January in an unusual lease arrangement, with the Merseyside club paying a loan fee not to West Ham United, his previous club, but to Media Sports Investment, the company that holds his “economic rights”. Under the terms of the midfield player’s 18-month loan, Liverpool can make the deal permanent by buying him outright from MSI for £17 million before June 30 next year, but their hopes of securing his services in the long term seem certain to come under threat from Barcelona.
Liverpool remain confident of their prospects of holding on to Mascherano, who has revived his career on Merseyside after a miserable spell at West Ham and who recently stated his desire to “stay for a long time”. But Barcelona could complicate the situation, having made their interest in the Argentina player known via a third party. A transfer to Spain was initially Mascherano’s preference before he made his ill-fated move to West Ham in August 2006.
Having recovered from the bruised foot he suffered in the closing stages of the 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal last weekend, Mascherano has an important role to play in the coming weeks - starting away to Blackburn Rovers this evening - particularly given the absence of Xabi Alonso. The Spain midfield player faces at least three weeks on the side-lines after breaking a metatarsal in his left foot, for the second time this season, against Arsenal.
But Rafael BenÍtez, the manager, can also call on Steven Gerrard, even though Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, has expressed concerns about the workload, with club and country, of England’s players. “With Xabi on the pitch, Gerrard is important,” BenÍtez said. “Without Xabi, he is even more important.”
Fernando Torres hopes to be back in action earlier than was first thought after making encouraging progress in his recovery from a groin injury.
“People were talking about three to four weeks, but it just depends on how the adductor evolves, so I’ve just got to hope it will be sooner than that,” the Spain forward said. “I’m getting better and working really hard with the physios. Let’s just hope I’ll be in perfect condition to play soon and that that will be an end to the injuries this season.”
Mascherano joined Liverpool in January in an unusual lease arrangement, with the Merseyside club paying a loan fee not to West Ham United, his previous club, but to Media Sports Investment, the company that holds his “economic rights”. Under the terms of the midfield player’s 18-month loan, Liverpool can make the deal permanent by buying him outright from MSI for £17 million before June 30 next year, but their hopes of securing his services in the long term seem certain to come under threat from Barcelona.
Liverpool remain confident of their prospects of holding on to Mascherano, who has revived his career on Merseyside after a miserable spell at West Ham and who recently stated his desire to “stay for a long time”. But Barcelona could complicate the situation, having made their interest in the Argentina player known via a third party. A transfer to Spain was initially Mascherano’s preference before he made his ill-fated move to West Ham in August 2006.
Having recovered from the bruised foot he suffered in the closing stages of the 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal last weekend, Mascherano has an important role to play in the coming weeks - starting away to Blackburn Rovers this evening - particularly given the absence of Xabi Alonso. The Spain midfield player faces at least three weeks on the side-lines after breaking a metatarsal in his left foot, for the second time this season, against Arsenal.
But Rafael BenÍtez, the manager, can also call on Steven Gerrard, even though Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, has expressed concerns about the workload, with club and country, of England’s players. “With Xabi on the pitch, Gerrard is important,” BenÍtez said. “Without Xabi, he is even more important.”
Fernando Torres hopes to be back in action earlier than was first thought after making encouraging progress in his recovery from a groin injury.
“People were talking about three to four weeks, but it just depends on how the adductor evolves, so I’ve just got to hope it will be sooner than that,” the Spain forward said. “I’m getting better and working really hard with the physios. Let’s just hope I’ll be in perfect condition to play soon and that that will be an end to the injuries this season.”
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