Javier Mascherano (to Man City)

Please. God. No. 

City preparing £17m move for Mascherano as Liverpool stall
By Jason Burt, The Independent
Published: 05 December 2007

Manchester City are attempting to take advantage of the continuing uncertainty at Liverpool by lining up a surprise £17m bid for Javier Mascherano. City are expected to be the Premier League's big spenders in what could be an otherwise quiet January with owner Thaksin Shinawatra having already pledging substantial funds as the club pushes for European football. They want to recruit one leading striker, and possibly two, as well as a holding midfielder while discussions have been held about a new goalkeeper.

The favourite for the striking role remains Afonso Alves, the free-scoring Brazilian who plays for the Dutch club Heerenveen, with Peter Crouch and Nicolas Anelka having also been discussed by Shinawatra, his advisers and manager Sven Goran Eriksson. Much of City's transfer strategy is being led by the agent Pini Zahavi and he is believed to be keen to push through a deal involving Mascherano. It is thought that a meeting with City may have already taken place.

A new name on City's list is the Newcastle United striker Obafemi Martins who is understood to be unhappy at St James' Park and has a £13m release clause, although negotiations have taken place to remove that from his contract.

The future of Mascherano has been one of the points of conflict between Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and the club's owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Benitez has urged the Americans to quickly provide the funds to sign the 23-year-old Argentine, who is only effectively on an 18-month loan, on a permanent transfer.

Mascherano, whose personal terms do not provide a stumbling block, and his advisers want to tie up a deal as quickly as possible with Liverpool also risking the midfielder signing a pre-contract agreement elsewhere if they do not offer him permanent terms by next month. It's thought that he would prefer to stay at Liverpool.

Mascherano is already one of the players at Anfield most valued by Benitez, and has a clause in his contract setting a fee of £17m if he leaves the club – which would cause further strain with the owners. Benitez is believed to have already made clear he would rather sell John Arne Riise, who has only 18 months left on his contract, or Momo Sissoko who attracted interest from Italy last summer.

Mascherano is also believed to be wanted in Italy although he is thought to be more likely to move to Spain, and Barcelona, should he leave this country. Liverpool would not receive a fee for Mascherano who is, it is believed, still effectively owned by the sports media company MSI.

If City fail in a bid for Mascherano they are likely to turn their attention to Marcelo Mattos who, at around £3m, would provide a cut-price alternative. The 23-year-old Brazilian is also a holding midfielder and only joined the Greek club Panathinaikos earlier this year, from Corinthians. Mattos has been in impressive form and Portsmouth are also believed to be interested. Although not an international Mattos would be able to move to England because he has an Italian passport. Despite the impressive form of Dietmar Hamann, he is 34 and City have identified a new holding midfielder as a priority.

City spent heavily last summer, with almost £40m worth of players arriving in a whirlwind spree following Shinawatra's takeover and the appointment of Eriksson. The Swede is believed to have petitioned the owner last month urging him to spend more cash and claiming that beyond his first XI he lacks the strength and depth to sustain a challenge this campaign.

City's impressive performances have helped his cause – as have the resounding success of a number of his signings, particularly Elano and Martin Petrov.

Sven has done some great deals so far but this one seems abit too far out of reach. Anelka for 12, Mascherano 17, Alves 10. Good luck Sven ...

And their so called keeping crisis, why let Schmeichel leave on loan then??? He was the in form keeper of the league and they lent him out. The mind boggles.

lmao...Mascherano would want to go to an inferior club why exactly?

This is why I give up on taking press articles seriously round this time of year, they can't even be bothered to report something that might actually happen.
 
Masch has already made it perfectly clear that he wants to stay here, but also that if that doesn't happen for any reason then he's off to Spain.

Weren't Real Madrid supposed to be after him

yes and they are favourites to purchase Ronaldhinio for 10m!  Its just another case of the media trying to wind our fans up.

With a player of Masch's ability is hardly surprising that the European powerhouses of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Man City come sniffing around.......MAN CITY? Can someone smell an agent and a bored jouno....

Juventus is also interested in him :/

Cmon,Hicks/Gillet cough up the 17m...you know he is worth it.

This is why I give up on taking press articles seriously round this time of year, they can't even be bothered to report something that might actually happen.
 
Masch has already made it perfectly clear that he wants to stay here, but also that if that doesn't happen for any reason then he's off to Spain.

I'm really getting tired too of all these sensational news reporting.

I've actually given up reading newspapers due to the amount of rubbish in them these days. I thought we had first option on Masch which would suggest that no-one else can make an offer until we have decided if we are going to sign him permanently( which I believe we will).

It's clear to see that Masc is a player any club worth its salt would want in its ranks, and like the speculation surrounding Crouch, I personally believe our club would definitely be poorer if we let either one out the door.
The man is jawdroppingly excellent in midfield, but though Rafa has stated he has confidence he will be signing him on to what would effectively be our biggest bit of business in the January window, lets not take anything for granted...
The ground that Rafa currently walks on with the Americans is decidedly shaky at best, and for all the talk of 'big misunderstandings been thrown out of all proportion', things are rather testy right about now.
I obviously hope the man still plays for us come this time next year, only trouble is with so many potential curve balls to dodge between now and January, we might just simply have to wait and see.
Thats me off to make a few prayers then!

I don't get why the media is speculating in a move for Mascherano to other English clubs, when the man himself has said the Liverpool is the only English club he'll play for. I'm confident that he'll stay with us and if not, he's certainly not joining a competing club.

Man City are getting too big for their boots.
Why would Mascherano leave a champions league club, top 4 team for Manchester City ?

i think this newpaper rumour is wrong 'cos Javier said that he want to play for liverpool only in england.
gillet and hicks give Rafa d necessary money for him to make him permanent

Man City are getting too big for their boots.
Why would Mascherano leave a champions league club, top 4 team for Manchester City ?

Because we havent got the money to seal the deal?

"We were not talking too much about this because I have a lot of confidence that he will stay with us," Benitez told Sky Sports News. "He's just training, being ready, trying to enjoy now and being with his family. We will talk again, but he's happy here, so I think we can have some confidence."
If rafa is confident that we will sign him, there is no need to worry.

I prey the deal for Macherano is sorted if we leave it to long he may think the owners dont care.We know Raffa wants him and if this deal gets away Raffa would probably be furious with the owners and then anything could happen within the club so pull your fingers out Mr Gillett & Hicks and get Javiier signed up.

no one can by him until the summer and we say no to him we will find the money to get him by the summer

Good news people.

RAFA OUT TO KEEP MASCHERANO
Rafa Benitez wants to keep Javier Mascherano at Liverpool, and sign a new centre-half in January.

Mascherano has been a big hit at Anfield since arriving last January on an 18-month loan deal.

But the Reds have yet to take up a £17million option to sign him permanently, leading to speculation he could end up elsewhere.

Benitez however is hoping that Mascherano, a target for the likes of Barcelona, will stay on Merseyside. The player himself has already said he wants to remain with the Reds.

"We know Juventus and other top sides are interested in him but we have the option," Benitez told the club's official website.

"Javier is happy here and wants to stay. We will do our best to keep him here."

Benitez meanwhile says he's hoping to sign a centre-half during the January transfer window, and not a left-back as many reports have claimed.

Some speculation was linking Chelsea's Wayne Bridge with a move to Merseyside, but Benitez says he won't be arriving, and added that veteran central defender Sami Hyypia won't be leaving.

"We are looking for a centre back and not a left back," he added.

"We are working hard with the new owners and the Chief Executive to find an option."

Lets keep the faith YNWA IRWT

Finally some good news from all the 'have Liverpool lost the title' Lets hope that Rafa can do it and keep one of our best players of the season so far

We must keep him! His the most importent player in my eyes.

I hate Man City, now that they are under Erricsson they think they can pretty much get any player we can! Not a chance!