Barca consider Mascherano swoop
Following the collapse of the Maicon transfer, and the ongoing difficulties in Mario Balotelli’s move to Manchester City, Inter have decided to give up on Javier Mascherano. Reports today claim that the Liverpool midfielder could end up plying his trade at Barcelona this year instead.
Mascherano hasn’t made it a secret that he wanted a reunion with Rafa Benitez at Inter, reportedly going so far as learning Italian during the World Cup. However, with a 30m euro price tag, the Argentinean is too expensive for Inter president Massimo Moratti, especially now that there will be no transfer funds available from the sale of Maicon.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have also seen their main transfer target elude them this year, as their 60m eruo bid for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas has failed. Mascherano is believed to be a suitable alternative for the Spanish champions, who are looking to bolster their midfield.
Catalan newspaper El Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Barcelona are willing to spend the amount needed to pry Mascherano away from the Merseyside club, and are even offering Aleksandar Hleb as part of the transfer package.
“The player would like to talk to Barca. After all, the sums requested are half of what they put on the table for Fabregas,” the player’s agent Horacio Zandonadi told Com Radio, adding that there is nothing standing in the way of his client’s departure from Liverpool. “Mascherano has not renewed his contract and the club promised to release him if he requested a transfer. The situation is much easier than a year ago, when Barcelona already made an offer for Javier.”
Should Mascherano move to Spain, it will be the fifth club for the defensive midfielder, who started his professional career with River Plate. The 26-year-old has made 93 appearances for Liverpool in the last three years, and named the captain of the Argentinean national team ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
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