Liverpool FC Forum

[tubby]

Masch exit 'not impossible'
Reds first-team coach fails to rule out transfer

Liverpool coach Mauricio Pellegrino has failed to rule out the possibility of Javier Mascherano leaving Anfield.

The Argentina midfielder is said to be a target of Barcelona and it is claimed his agent, Walter Tamer, met with officials of the Spanish club on Wednesday.

Reds manager Rafa Benitez is adamant that Mascherano will not depart the side as he sees the 25-year-old as a vital component of his squad.

However, Pellegrino concedes 'anything is possible' in football, as Barca and also Real Madrid continue to be linked with an offer for Mascherano's services.

"Every time negotiations are underway, money always makes the decision," Pellegrino told sport.es.

"Anyway, Mascherano is such an important player for us, like other ones can be for Barca.

"I do not want to say anything about it because we already know that in football's world, nothing is impossible."

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I hope he isn't asking for stupid wages like Tevez. He is a good player but if money is the only thing that makes him play then maybe we need to reconsider his postion here no matter how good he is.

[bunglemark2]

Marvellous, bleedin' marvellous.....
We're potentially gonna lose two of the players of the season last year....In theory, you're supposed to bolster your squad and keep the good players, separate the wheat from the chaff etc.....Man, this is a step backwards.
You have to say though, it may just be the case that the pendulum is starting to swing towards La Liga as the top league in European football. That, and the sterling differential makes it a compelling reason for thee boys to go there....that and the food, weather etc...

[lakes10]

Real up Alonso pursuit - Daily Mail
Another Liverpool midfielder making the news is Xabi Alonso, with Real Madrid reportedly having bid £30million. Should Liverpool cash in on the Spanish schemer?

[Dundalk]

Liverpool's tenacious midfielder Javier Mascherano has admitted he is flattered to be linked with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The Argentine international has been tipped to join the Camp Nou outfit this summer while his representative, Walter Tamer, is understood to have jetted to Catalunya to hold talks last week.

Manager Rafa Benitez is desperate to retain the midfielder who has become an integral part of his plans after signing a five-year contract back in 2007.

Mascherano has now dropped his biggest hint yet that he wants to swap the Premier League for La Liga after confirming he is flattered by the duo's reported interest.

"I am very proud and thankful for the interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid. It's good for me to have these two teams interested in me," he told Don Balon.

"Both teams are very important but at this moment I think that Barcelona is a little bit better and that's why they've won all that they have."

Meanwhile, Mascherano has expressed his happiness at being a regular in Diego Maradona's Argentina squad: "I'm very proud that Maradona has me in mind.

"The best player in the world ever says many good things about me and that makes me very proud."

Link

[lakes10]

it starting to look as if its going to be very hard to keep them

[Dundalk]

TBH it looks like Mash has his heart set on a move to Barca, if thats true all we can do is get the best price possible

[Ciggy]

TBH it looks like Mash has his heart set on a move to Barca, if thats true all we can do is get the best price possible

It all points to him and his agent wanting a pay rise, he should get one aswell we need to keep our spine, give him and Xabi a pay rise. Tell them to stay atleast one more season to help us win the league and whilst Rafa searches for replacements then they can go where they please.

[tubby]

If he wanted to stay he would have talked more posative about us eg thanks but no thanks. Time to cash in on him I think. Alonso too. It will be a massive task to replace those 2 but Rafa needs to do it. I say get in Toure and some cash for Masch and sell Xabi foir 30. Get Silva and we are sorted.

[DrPepe]

TBH it looks like Mash has his heart set on a move to Barca, if thats true all we can do is get the best price possible

It all points to him and his agent wanting a pay rise, he should get one aswell we need to keep our spine, give him and Xabi a pay rise. Tell them to stay atleast one more season to help us win the league and whilst Rafa searches for replacements then they can go where they please.

I think you're right ... i hadn't realised he was "only" on 25k - a pittance comparted to gerard and torres.

Sort him out a new deal and keep him happy     the same for shabby too, i imagine

Liverpool may have to triple Javier Mascherano's salary to ward off interest from Barcelona in the midfielder.

The Argentine enforcer is believed to earn significantly less than Anfield's top earners, a situation underlined by Monday's £17million signing of Glen Johnson from Portsmouth.

The England right-back is tipped to sign a deal worth £4m-a-year - over three times Mascherano's salary.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is adamant the key midfielder is not for sale, but with European champions Barca waiting in the wings the Daily Mirror claims Mascherano will ask for his current £25,000-a-week deal to be trebled to persuade him to stay.

That would put the former West Ham man's earnings in line with Benitez's top players - with the likes of captain Steven Gerrard and striker Fernando Torres earning around £100,000-a-week.

[lakes10]

TBH it looks like Mash has his heart set on a move to Barca, if thats true all we can do is get the best price possible

It all points to him and his agent wanting a pay rise, he should get one aswell we need to keep our spine, give him and Xabi a pay rise. Tell them to stay atleast one more season to help us win the league and whilst Rafa searches for replacements then they can go where they please.

well it could happen but it would mean that we use the money to buy players to keep two players, would you be happy with that, i mean would you be happy if we did not bring in anymore new players this year so we could keep them?

it might not be a bad thing but i think we need another striker, get Owen on a free lol

[tubby]

Feck me 25k a week he surley does deserve more than that. Get him a new contract!

[NANNY RED]

TBH it looks like Mash has his heart set on a move to Barca, if thats true all we can do is get the best price possible

It all points to him and his agent wanting a pay rise, he should get one aswell we need to keep our spine, give him and Xabi a pay rise. Tell them to stay atleast one more season to help us win the league and whilst Rafa searches for replacements then they can go where they please.

Said the same thing meself Cigg last week when it all came about, Wages

It will be heartbreaking to lose even one of them nevermind the two, how can you replace two of the best players in there positions around in the game at the mo, our heart of the midfield will be ripped out, Thats some big gap to fill imo thats why im scared because i cant see anyone out there who is available to do there job.

[azriahmad]

People, how credible/reliable is the Daily Mail as a newsbreaker in England? I got this from their website.

"Xabi Alonso sacrificed to Real Madrid as £17m Glen Johnson arrival kickstarts Kop rebuild
By Colin Wood
Last updated at 7:48 AM on 23rd June 2009
Comments (0) Add to My Stories Real Madrid have made a renewed bid for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso and expect to sign him in a £30million deal.
The move comes just hours after Liverpool agreed a £17m deal for Portsmouth full-back Glen Johnson ahead of competition from Chelsea. And that will signal the £8million departure of Alvaro Arbeloa to Real Madrid too.
Real's pursuit of Alonso has been dogged. They made an approach for the Spain midfielder last month and tabled a £20m offer but Liverpool were reluctant to sell.

Sacrificed: Xabi Alonso is set to join Real Madrid in a £30m deal to part-fund Liverpool's £17m signing of Portsmouth and England defender Glen Johnson

Yet, despite his new Galacticos era, Florentino Perez has been put under pressure by fans to bring in Spanish players and Alonso and Arbeloa will go a long way to appease them.
Chelsea had also inquired about the 27-year-old Alonso but Rafa Benitez did not want to sell to his Premier League rivals. Alonso has made it clear he was not entirely happy working with Benitez and a move to Madrid will suit both parties.
Benitez will now concentrate on trying to keep Javier Mascherano, despite Barcelona's interest, and will use the funds from Alonso's transfer to continue re-building his team. "

This is the link [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1194800/Liverpool-sacrifice-Xabi-Alonso-Real-Madrid-17m-Glen-Johnson-arrival-kickstarts-Kop-rebuil
d.html]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport....ld.html[/url]

[tubby]

Id probably say Masch is the easier out of the 2 to replace but Xabi seems more intent on going.

[heimdall]

TBH it looks like Mash has his heart set on a move to Barca, if thats true all we can do is get the best price possible

It all points to him and his agent wanting a pay rise, he should get one aswell we need to keep our spine, give him and Xabi a pay rise. Tell them to stay atleast one more season to help us win the league and whilst Rafa searches for replacements then they can go where they please.

Said the same thing meself Cigg last week when it all came about, Wages

It will be heartbreaking to lose even one of them nevermind the two, how can you replace two of the best players in there positions around in the game at the mo, our heart of the midfield will be ripped out, Thats some big gap to fill imo thats why im scared because i cant see anyone out there who is available to do there job.

ermm and where is this money for higher wages going to come from then? do you two have any fecking grasp of finances at all?  On the one hand you are  bleating about the club being up sh1t creak then you want to chuck the money about in higher wages, well I say feck the players, it's about time they realised they are living a very privileged life and that we are in fact in a financial crises! I myself would be fairly happy with £25k a week and I bet you that the work I do, or I'm sure most people on this forum, has more actual benefit to the world than what Mascha does, it is absolutely obscene how much sports people earn these days and it's about time they get a reality check, it just can't continue like this. How can wages be going up in football when the rest of the world is economically fecked, the bubble will burst at some point.