Mascherano’s brother adds to the players speculation

Javier Mascherano's brother has renewed the speculation surrounding the Argentina captain by stating the midfield enforcer may leave Anfield if Barcelona come in with a good cash offer.
Mascherano's agent Walter Tamer has already claimed that the 25-year-old is 'tired of life' in England, but Reds Manager Rafa Benitez is determined the midfielder is going no where. Today’s Mail speculates The Reds “are prepared to triple his wages to make him see things differently.”

The players brother, Sebastian Mascherano told Spain's COM Radio: “If Barcelona really come with a very good cash offer, I believe Javier may leave Liverpool as it would be the best for him and his family.”

“But I think that if there is no good offer, they will not let him go."

“I am sure Messi and Javier have spoken,” he said. “Leo is one of the people who have been pushing the most for Javier to play at Barca.”

Barcelona confirm they have not bid for Mascherano

Barcalona's vice-president of sport Rafael Yuste has confirmed that the reigning European champions have not approached or made a bid for Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano.
Press speculation and Masherano’s agent have caused unwelcome gossip all summer, but Yuste insists no agreement is in place to take the Anfield enforcer to Spain.

"I can confirm that Javier Mascherano is a fantastic player, that personally I like a lot, but we have not bid," he said to Sky Sports.

"We have a lot of players that want to come to Barcelona and that is all. Mascherano is a fantastic player, but he is with Liverpool.”


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Barcelona’s Eto'o offered in swap deal for Mascherano

Transfer Speculation

“Samuel Eto'o has been offered to Liverpool by Barcelona in a swap deal as the European Champions step up their bid to land Javier Mascherano,” says today’s Mirror.

The article states: “Eto’o, 28, is one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe after failing to agree a new deal at the Nou Camp. Barca believe offering him to Liverpool for unsettled Mascherano could help to smooth a deal. Reds boss Rafa Benitez insisted earlier this week that he wasn’t willing to sell his Argentine defensive midfielder to Barca “at any price” – even £50million.”

The story which is also being reported in the Telegraph, says “Liverpool turned down a £20 million offer from the Nou Camp,” for Mascherano. However, “Pep Guardiola is prepared to test the wrath of Benitez and has made a second bid which would allow for him to offload 28-year-old Eto'o, who failed to agree to a new deal with Barca.”

Eto’o has just a year left on his current Barcelona deal.

Mascherano’s agent says "if Barcelona want him, he will sign for them"

Javier Mascherano’s agent Walter Tamer, says his client would accept an offer from Champions League winners Barcelona should they make a move for him states today’s Times. The story goes on to quote Tamer who says:

“If a club like Barcelona want to bring you into their ranks after having completed such a brilliant season and having won everything, obviously as a player, you are going to say, 'Yes, I want to play there'. It is an honour for Javier that a club like Barca to pay such close attention to him. I believe that a transfer would be feasible. If Barca really want him, he will sign for them. He would have a very easy job at Barca. Sometimes we talk and joke that the only thing he has to do is run, rob the ball, and pass it on to all the superstars in front of him. What if Xabi Alonso also leaves? Surely, Rafael Benitez would not want to have both his central midfielders go. It will be difficult, although Xabi's future does not depend on Mascherano and vice-versa.”

It is my strong suspicion that Mascherano’s agent is looking to increase his client’s wages and in turn earn himself commission for any new salary improvement. Gerrard, Torres, Kuyt, Agger and Benitez himself have all recently signed new deals and possibly Tamer feels his client deserves one also. But with Mascherano only signing a four year deal sixteen months ago, an improved contract may not be forthcoming.

We were watching

Echo journalist Tony Barrett wrote an amusing article at the weekend entitled: “Were we watching Man Utd's thrashing by Barcelona? How could we miss it!” It goes on to say: Barcelona played United the team, not United the reputation and won with ease, just as Liverpool did at Old Trafford”, and “For the first time in recent weeks, the United fans did not sing Are You Watching Merseyside? Funny that because Merseyside was watching” and he suggests “If £6m Brazilian Lucas ever performed as badly in a major game as £18m Brazilian Anderson he would have been hounded all the way back to Brazil.”

The piece also asks a rather interesting question: “Why did the British media not ask Alex Ferguson to congratulate his opposing and victorious manager? Do such forced niceties only apply to Rafa Benitez?”

Drogba's disgrace hypocrisy

As the pantomime unravelled after the final whistle of the Champions League semi final between Chelsea and Barcelona last night, I could only laugh at the irony. Didier Drogba's hypocrisy was glaringly evident when he called referee Tom Henning Ovrebo a "fucking disgrace". It was hard to sympathise with a man that hurls himself around the pitch with all the expertise of a circus acrobat. Many Liverpool fans are obviously privy to the kind of antics that Drogba repeatedly gets away with. His conduct during the second leg of our own Champions League quarter final tie with the London club a couple of weeks ago, was continually marred by his constant unsporting behaviour. In particular the collision that left Drogba rolling around the edge of the pitch, clutching his face, overacting his part like some terrible opera singer. Realising that he was outside of the boundaries of the area of play, Drogba rolled back onto the pitch in order to stop the match. It was a clear case of feigning injury and time wasting, designed to stop any momentum Liverpool may be gathering in the game. The game was stopped, Drogba was treated and when the match resumed he was galloping round the pitch with all the speed of a gazelle, clearly highlighting that there was nothing wrong with him in the first place. When a player consistently acts in such an unsporting manner complains when he is wronged himself, he will usually find the public taking great enjoyment in his misery.

Just one more point. Was the ‘hand crossing' gesture (presumably signalling 'game-over') Drogba gave to the camera whilst shouting “fucking” on live television, a sign of disrespect? I'm expecting 'The Crusader of Injustice'™: Fergie, to mention this arrogant, contemptible 'hand waving' in his next press conference.