With Inter Milan having rules themselves out of signing Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, Barcelona are favourites to land the Argentinian and will offer former Arsenal man Alexander Hleb in part-exchange.
Mascherano has reportedly told Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson that he would like to leave Anfield. However, Hodgson has made it clear that the club, not the player will decide the terms of Mascherano's exit.
Barcelona attempted to sign the 26-year-old last summer and now Mascherano has reignited the possibility of a move to the Nou Camp with his representative in Spain Horacio Zandonadi saying, "The player would love to hear from Barca."
Reports in several Spanish dailies suggest that Barcelona are keen on capturing Mascherano and see him as the natural battling midfielder to fill the hole left by Yaya Toure, who left for Manchester City this summer.
However, Barcelona are reluctant to pay the expected 20 million Euro fee that Liverpool will demand. Newspaper Mundo Deportivo suggests that Barcelona will offer a cut-price 9.5million euros plus midfielder Hleb. The 29-year-old Belarus international had a relatively successful loan spell at Stuttgart last season, having failed to establish himself at the Nou Camp.
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