World class Barca ace wanted back in England.
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Barcelona transfer news
Barcelona are ready to reject offers for the services of Argentine defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano this summer, with Sport claiming that a number of Premier League clubs are chasing the former Liverpool man.
The 31-year-old has been at the Nou Camp since joining from the Reds back in 2010, and has enjoyed plenty of success in Spain with three La Liga title wins and two successes in the Champions League.
In that time, Mascherano has also played a pivotal role in reaching the World Cup final with Argentina in 2014, showing himself to be one of the best defensive players in the world, whether playing as a centre-back or just ahead of the back four as he did throughout his time at Anfield.
There’s no doubt Liverpool themselves have missed having a player of his quality in the side, though no specific names are mentioned in Sport’s piece in regards to which English clubs are after the South American hard-man.
Mascherano also had a brief spell with West Ham United during his time in England, but really became recognised as a world class player when he moved to Liverpool, and he has continued that consistency in his time with Barca.
Despite being over 30 now, the former River Plate man clearly still has what it takes to succeed at the very top level, and it is little surprise to see that Premier League teams are considering moving for him, particularly as big names like Arsenal and Manchester United have been linked with moves for other defensive-minded midfielders, such as Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin (via the Daily Mail).
Still, it is also no surprise that his club do not want to lose him this summer, as manager Luis Enrique will want to keep the core of his squad together after a resounding treble success in 2014/15.