Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has admitted he is unlikely to move to Anfield on a permanent basis when his loan expires in the summer.Liverpool's co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are not willing to spend £17million on Mascherano now, and that could see the Argentinian's agents touting him around Europe, with Barcelona waiting to pounce.

Mascherano said: "With the time that has passed, it will now be more difficult for me to stay here because I need to do something about my future.

"I have done everything to stay but now the owners have to decide if they want to buy me or not."

Meanwhile Reds boss Rafa Benitez has made it clear results must be maintained and improved in 2008.

"We must beat Wigan and then keep on winning," he said.

And Benitez will also have to improve Liverpool's overall record to continue to impress the Americans.

At the beginning of 2007, the Reds were third in the Premier League. They moved into 2008 in fourth spot, with a 12-month record that sees them having won 19 of 36 league games with a points haul of 68.

That is 15 short of Manchester United over the same period and also comfortably adrift of the totals for Arsenal and Chelsea.

Neighbours Everton, who are quick to emphasise their lack of financial muscle, have amassed only eight points fewer than Liverpool in 2007.

This lack of genuine progress will not impress co-chairman Hicks and Gillett.

Ahead of the 0-0 draw at Manchester City, Benitez said Liverpool "needed to do everything perfectly from now on to win the title".

And they did not get off to the perfect start to the second half of the season with a dominant, but goal-shy, display at Eastlands.

The performance wasted the opportunity to make inroads on Manchester United, who had lost at West Ham a day earlier.

Benitez added: "Things are as they are, we tried to win and we created chances. If you cannot win, you must try and find the positives.

"And that is that we played well against a team that has a good record at home, and we deserved to win.

"We cannot think negatively but we cannot change the situation. Now we must think solely about beating Wigan. We need to win that game and keep on winning, and we can do that because the team is playing well.

"I don't look at the table too much, but we knew that the City game was an opportunity. And we have one more point."

Benitez expects to sign defensive cover in the January transfer window. But he is focusing on the cheaper, younger options, and expects to again be without Sami Hyypia (ankle) and Daniel Agger (broken metatarsal) against Steve Bruce's Latics.

It means full-back Alvaro Arbeloa, a stop-gap centre half against City, is likely to partner Jamie Carragher again. It is unlikely Benitez will risk rookie centre-back Jack Hobbs.

Hobbs was not even on the bench at Eastlands, which underlines the concerns about his lack of experience.

Peter Crouch returns to the squad after a three-match suspension, and it is likely Xabi Alonso will also be back in the starting line-up after being on the bench against City.

John Arne Riise and Andriy Voronin are also pushing for recalls as Benitez faces a manager in Bruce he has never beaten in league action since taking over at Anfield.

Benitez is highly complimentary to his opposite number, newly installed at the JJB stadium.

He said: "I am not surprised by the impact that Steve Bruce has had at Wigan, he is a manager with experience.

"You know that you have to work really hard to improve a side that is at the bottom of the table, and Steve is that sort of manager.

"He has experience of such a situation in the Premier

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