Barcelona star Lionel Messi has maintained the pressure in the tug-of-war for Javier Mascherano by reiterating his desire for the Liverpool midfielder to join him at the Nou Camp.
Argentina captain Mascherano is a major target for Barcelona and even though manager Rafael Benitez has slapped a £50million price tag on the player, that does not seem to have deterred the Catalans.
"Of course I would like him to join, who would not want to play with great players like Javier," Messi told El Mundo Deportivo. "I hope he can come here."
There has been speculation suggesting Mascherano wants to become one of Liverpool's highest earners and that his wife has not settled on Merseyside.
But the player himself has spoken in glowing terms about Benitez and the relationship he has with the manager who rescued him from a miserable spell in West Ham's reserves just over two years ago.
Benitez is determined to keep the combative Argentinian but it appears Barcelona are not yet ready to give up their pursuit of the 25-year-old.
The Liverpool boss is facing attacks on all sides from Spanish clubs with Real Madrid stepping up their bid to sign Xabi Alonso.
Rumours of a £30million bid have been circulating as returning Real president Florentino Perez continues to try to spend his way to success in an attempt to catch arch-rivals Barcelona, who won the treble last season.
The prospect of losing both his first-choice central midfielders is totally unpalatable to Benitez, who knows he has to strengthen his side if he is to catch Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United, having run them so close last season.
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bin dippers...
how do you know batmans a scouser? he cant go out without robin
andy shut up and slip lfc a length
Do you ever comment on your own team Mike, or just salivate over the Liverpool threads? Wipe that @#$% off your chin and do one!
mike hunt u r a ????
messi to anfield hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
he will have to sew his pockets up to stop you thieving scumbags
Benitez should cash in on Mascherano now, that style of player only gets one chance to have an over-inflated value. Sell him, pocket a hughe chunk of cash and buy Cattermole from Wigan. He's young, combative, skillful, and should be available for well below 10 mill. 30 for a player who's going to want to leave for a warmer climate and glory every summer, replace him with an equally gifted and battling player who is English and would be able to grow and learn from Stevie G as he goes. Makes sense to me, boosts the English contingent for the Champions League, gives another English player the chance to compete on the highest stage and further develop and allows the Americans at the helm to drag in a bit of cash.
sadeq do one./// you know nothing about football.. go on the cricket site
its gonna happen and liverfool cannot do anything about it.. prepare for everton to overtake you and rafa to be fired by Christmas...
I like that thing at 4. Really!
1. only transfer records can make anything happen !
2. at the moment real have the record so wazzup barca ?
ps.
they will have to break that record also !
he is going to be the biggest rep for his country since trottenham`s ossie adilles !
Mascherano wants to remember who rescued him from the football wilderness.
Reds needs to keep Masc. He is one of the best defensive midfielders if not the best.
His loss without a clear replacement would dent the title hopes. The key here though is the player. If he wants to stay he will stay. We have to take him at his word. He wants to stay at Liverpool but the Spaniards will keep throwing the rumors.
The premier leagues should start raiding the Spanish teams or at least stat crazy rumors like Messi to Man U (they can afford him with all that money they got for Ronaldo). Eto to Liverpool for Lucas. Put them on the defensive.
masch is the best defensive mid field player in the world if he is sold he cannot be replaced.
@ post 11 - the fact that you think Mascherano is all about hype says a lot about your knowledge of football. Ask anyone out of Manchester what they think of him and most would regard him as one of the best if not THE best defensive mid in world football today.
Post 10 - masch has come out himself already an reiterated his desire to stay at Liverpool and described the interest in him as flattering and just lets him know that he is doing his job well. Just cos our top players are wanted by Europe's elite, doesnt mean that they jump ship. Playing for Liverpool is more than just about money, something that a united fan would never understand.
great. lets sell. both players alonso and masch and get our 80million and get better players. David silva and david villa for starters
What's with all this hype for Masch? He's not that great, 50mil is ludicrous. They have Toure and Keita who are far superior holding mids, sounds like they're getting rid of all the Africans on the team, lol.
losing alonso and now masherano hehehehe
you get a defender in exchange.....
its all over scousers the fat lady has sung... train for fat controller on platform 1
Xavi, Iniesta and Mascherano. That would be incredible.....but you cant F-ing have him!
If Mascheranos head has been turned By Barca make them pay the price, demand Yaya Toure and Eto'o or Henry in exchange, though I hope we just keep Mascherano we need to stand up to these Bully Boy tactics from Spain we might not have the financial muscle of Real, Barca, Chelsea, Utd (oh and City) but we are close to fighting Utd again for the Championship crown that has been loaned to Utd for too long.
2 - you beat me to it!
YNWA
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