Football: Javier Mascherano requests transfer from Liverpool
Though Javier Mascherano might not have performed as brilliantly as Liverpool Football Club would have expected, he most certainly is the 11th hour Samaritan, the grain of rice that can tip the scale and one of the last rays of sun shine over Anfield.
Though Mascherano’s performance has been under scrutiny for the past season, the star Argentinean midfielder brings the x-factor to the Reds. He is the captain of the Argentinean squad and played to his worth in the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
But now the veteran Albiceleste is about to give in his transfer request to the Liverpool board. A request that is likely to bring frowns and anguish to the faces of Coach Roy Hodgson, Chairman, Martin Broughton and owner’s Tom Hicks and George Gillet.
Sources have revealed that Mascherano and his agent have been long since ready for the transfer and now are about to demand it. Sources have said that there is a massive chance that the maestro midfielder will make a move towards Inter Milan where Liverpool’s former manager Rafael Benitez is taking a high level of interest in him.
The Serie A club won the league title last season and acquired the Champions League title but that was under the previous coach, now at Bernabeu, Jose Mourinho of Real Madrid.
In recent times the links and ties between the world class Argentinean captain and the Nerazzurri have grown and in a recent press conference the player’s agent has even hinted that at the start of the new season of Mascherano might be at San Siro.
However Inter Milan is not the only club that is after the 26 year old player. The former West Ham united player is being sought by Barcelona too. But the demand of Arsenal’s top gun Cesc Fabregas might override that. The captain of the Gunners has scored 20 goals and has 20 assists from one of his best last seasons.
Liverpool has just signed a new Milan Jovanovic from Serbia the star left winger who made his presence known in the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa and has been highly regarded by Hodgson.
The transfer occurred after the players from Liverpool led by Fernando Torres threatened to quit if new players were not signed in. Before Benitez’s departure the manager was promised enough funds to refurnish his squad but later the Liverpool board told him that they could offer him just 5 million pounds for the job as the club was heavily in debt. The debts of Liverpool FC are currently around 350 million pounds.
Now the move made by Maschernao will certainly demoralize the players left at Liverpool as some had already made their transfers. For instance the Israeli team’s captain Yossi Benayoun has transferred himself to Chelsea. Chelsea was also seeking Torres, the star striker of Reds but after the appointment Jovanovic, coincidence or not Torres stated that he needed to meet the Liverpool board.
It is assumed that Liverpool will utilize some new players from their academy operated by the Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish this season. Hodgson later confirmed that and has said that he himself will be keeping an eye out for young talent. Early assumptions about Dalglish and Hodgson not getting along after the manager post dilemma now seems to have been dissolved between the two as they both have recited for Liverpool “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.
In any case the transfer of Mascherano will have a major impact on the club who got the 7th position in the English Premier League, faced an early exit from Champions League, and were humiliated at the Europa Cup. After a controversy of joining, Maschernao came to Liverpool in 2007. He is considered one of the veterans of the club boasting 130 caps under his belt.
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