Despite interest from Juventus, Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has revealed that he wishes to stay with the Catalan giants.
Earlier this summer, the Argentine international appeared to be angling towards an exit from the Nou Camp with a lack of progress in talks over a new deal.
That in turn alerted Juve to the situation, although the Serie A champions are set to be left disappointed as he has revealed his intention to remain with the Spanish outfit.
“I hope that we will have a good season,” Mascherano told reporters, as noted by Marca.
“As always, I start the season with a lot of excitement, I hope that it will be the best yet.”
The former West Ham United and Liverpool ace has made 282 appearances in all competitions for the Blaugrana since his arrival in 2010, and has played an integral role in their success and ability to bring in a significant haul of trophies.
While the 32-year-old is still under contract with the club until 2018, it had been suggested that he could follow Dani Alves to Turin after his former teammate completed his move late last month.
In fact, reports in May suggested that he had even agreed terms with the Bianconeri, as noted by the Daily Mail, and it looked as though he was all set for a move to Italy for a fresh challenge.
However, it appears as though Mascherano will now see out the remainder of his deal and consider his options in two years time, although there will of course now be an opportunity to possibly sit down with Barca and discuss a new agreement.