JAVIER MASCHERANO FAMILY ANGUISH
Midfielder's missus can't stand Liverpool
JAVIER MASCHERANO'S family anguish is behind his shock threat to quit Liverpool.
In the latest shattering transfer blow to manager Rafa Benitez, the Argentina skipper is considering leaving because his pregnant wife Fernanda has been unable to settle on Merseyside.
She returned to South America with the couple's daughter Lola before the end of last season. And although the 25-year-old midfielder is professionally happy at Anfield, the personal despair at being apart from his family means he feels he has no option but to consider moving on.
He thinks it will be easier for his wife to live in a Spanish-speaking country.
Benitez has insisted the midfielder is not for sale at any price, despite an imminent £30million bid from Barcelona. But the Liverpool boss has a fight on his hands to keep Mascherano given his difficult circumstances.
A Kop source said: "The truth is Javier loves Liverpool and is especially thankful to Rafa for everything he has done for his career in England. But he's facing a huge dilemma because he feels his family might be more settled in Spain. Nothing is certain, but it's true it's a big problem for the club."
With Xabi Alonso also determined to force through a move to La Liga, the spine of the Liverpool team could be ripped apart before the start of next season.
Benitez and Alonso remain on collision course, with the Spanish playmaker likely to try to force through a move after the Confederations Cup.
But the club today backed Benitez by indicating any approaches for the pair will be firmly rejected.
In a statement on their official website, Liverpool said: "Despite repeated media speculation on the futures of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, Liverpool has received no official approach or offer from any club regarding the players.
"Neither is for sale and furthermore Liverpool has no interest in the long list of Spanish based players being linked with a move to Anfield as part of any deal."
The only consolation for Benitez is that he could collect more than £50m in transfer fees for the two players - cash he could reinvest in the side.
On the other hand, replacing two world-class central midfielders will not be easy, especially as Liverpool have already missed out on their prime target Gareth Barry.
Benitez has still not given up hope of signing Valencia's David Silva. He has revived his interest in the 23-year-old Spaniard since Carlos Tevez declared his preference for Manchester City over Liverpool.
This article has 39 comments
let them go and we collect something like 56 m so that we can have some om=ne like david silva and diego
By brian. Posted July 3 2009 at 7:30 AM.
just divorce her lad and you stay at anfield job done
By paul lfc . Posted June 15 2009 at 12:50 PM.
I cant wait for the league to start, im tired of all these rumours going around, we just need two additions to our squad, David Silva and Robben, Robben would be a perfect addition to our squad ...
My team
Reina
Carragher Skirtel Agger Aurelio
Silva Alonso Masch Robben
Gerrard Torres
By Gershon. Posted June 15 2009 at 8:09 AM.
get rid of those american scums their ruining liverpool
By lfc fan. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:59 PM.
The American should go home and ruin another baseball club......They brought disgrace to Liverpool FC and to the whole team including Rick Parry. Poor Rafa cannot compete anymore against Man U, Chelsea....Real....!
GO HOME YOU STUPID AND MONEY PUMPING AMERICANS!!!!!
By Jay. Posted June 14 2009 at 5:08 PM.
has manche forgotten his early days in the pl.liverpool took u up, built u and he just say is pay day and as for fergie,he must be out of his mind.age can sometime make u forget.has fergie forgotten about gabriel heinze.
By phlip. Posted June 14 2009 at 4:22 PM.
masc is staying a red, FACT!!!
By rafa,s rant. Posted June 14 2009 at 4:21 PM.
He,s having a laugh that ferguson (knighthood my arse) if he thinks nando would even consider joining that freak show.For a start he,s to handsome to walk out with that team,he,s also to good for them.If for any reason the story was true,does it not prove that ferguson is running scared.Love it.YNWA
By bobbyb. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:40 PM.
Gillete n hicks are going to cash in on their biggest assets b 4 selling the club to sachins crew. Should be a good season to watch liverpool implode like Newcastle this year.
By olly the red. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:51 PM.
Has man u. forgotten that they're not suppose 2 b trading with liverpool? Torres is in liverpool coz that's where he wants to be!
By Evans. Posted June 14 2009 at 2:10 PM.
If Rafa was serious about not selling masch or alonso he should dabble in trading similar to the NBA. I mean he hasn't sold the players as he said he wouldn't. Masch might be able to get you a 2 for 1 deal maybe Alves & Eto'o that's if Barca are serious or Abidal & Henry this gets Liverpool 1st team players with Champions League experience or something as simple as a player & cash deal as for Alonso, Real Madrid have a problem of too many players & not enough starting positions available so I throw this on the table a 2 for 5 player deal the 2 players being Alonso & the other being Arbeloa both would love to play in Spain, Real have players Rafa wants & needs like Heinze & Saviola, youngsters like Negrado & Bueno & midfielders like Sneijder or Van der vaart being Dutch & having Kuyt & Babel would just make it that much easier to play along side players you're familiar with & if they need a striker they could throw in Huntelaar's name. Now I don't like seeing players leave this club who have establish themselves ie.Hypia,Fowler & Owen to name a few all 3 are legends & have asked to move on to a new challenge & the club & fans agreed.Arbeloa's fall out with Carragher ( I'm not to sure what to make of that )can't be good for the team, Rafa's fallout with Alonso I think he played outstandingly well just to prove not only to himself the fans but to Rafa he made a big mistake going after Barry & not keeping faith in him & Masch everyone knows the real boss.
By Destrier. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:02 PM.
as much as i hate the idea of losing these 2 great players, i think if they want to go let them go.
don't want any players that don't want to play for liverpool.
let them go,get as much as you can for them and let's move on.
but let's get it sorted out,so we can get on with replacing them.
By andrew stafford. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:08 PM.
Lets just recap on something, didn't Fergie say he wouldn't sell Madrid a virus as they courted his prized asset CR.
So what makes him thim that Rafa would even entertain the though of selling Fernando to our bitter rivals!
Dream on Fergie you truely have lost your marbles!
By Ranjit Randhawa. Posted June 14 2009 at 12:20 PM.
maybe the american owners should decide to sell the club to someone thats got more money.not to keep refinancing and putting the club in more debt
By max kadouh. Posted June 14 2009 at 12:32 PM.
to the first commenter -
Xavi??? plus cash for macherano??? crazy talk
By boab. Posted June 14 2009 at 12:05 PM.
Mancs...they are livin in cukooland thinking they can even afford torres...macherano would be making a huge mistake but if barca want him then i say give us xavi and eto plus £20million as eto only has 1yr left on his contract and they won't give iniesta....alonso is such a great player the boy is a ginius and i hope he doesn't go but if real want him so badly then give us saviola, negredo, and the other kid plus robben and say £10million otherwise if i was rafa i would tell both the spanish to gettt....as for the rumours am hearing today we are looking at micah rather then johnson well micah is younger more powerful faster and in general better player then johnson who in my mind is tooo over-rated and makes to many silly mistakes.
By russ. Posted June 14 2009 at 11:37 AM.
The City of Liverpool will be to blame if Mascherano leaves. Of course his wife isn't settle in a strange land where their house was robbed. It is happened too many times to Liverpool players only and someone in Liverpool knows who is doing this.
As for Torres it is a complete nonsense. Ferguson was the man who refused to sell a reserve left back in Heinze to Liverpool and was even prepared to let it go to court. Why the hell is Liverpool going to sell to Man Utd. They would have to spend all of the 80 million at least to even get them to consider it.
By Del . Posted June 14 2009 at 11:48 AM.
Mancs...they are livin in cukooland thinking they can even afford torres...macherano would be making a huge mistake but if barca want him then i say give us xavi and eto plus £20million as eto only has 1yr left on his contract and they won't give iniesta....alonso is such a great player the boy is a ginius and i hope he doesn't go but if real want him so badly then give us saviola, negredo, and the other kid plus robben and say £10million otherwise if i was rafa i would tell both the spanish to gettt....as for the rumours am hearing today we are looking at micah rather then johnson well micah is younger more powerful faster and in general better player then johnson who in my mind is tooo over-rated and makes to many silly mistakes.
By russ. Posted June 14 2009 at 11:36 AM.
IF this story is true, then LFC look as if they're facing the same situation that Arsenal faced last summer - nearly won the title, then lost the heart of their midfield.
By Rhys Jaggar. Posted June 14 2009 at 11:16 AM.
According to the press, Lfc are losing our entire first team, Masch, Alonso, Torres, and the annual Stevie G 'sale' ! To name a few!
IT WILL NOT HAPPEN !!!!!!!
By Chris. Posted June 14 2009 at 10:26 AM.
If my partner was getting paid £80k a week, or whatever Masch is getting, and it was only for 5 years of so, I'm sure I'd be happy anywhere.
By JimBob. Posted June 14 2009 at 10:01 AM.
mach is the best defensive midfielder in the word, no question about it. liverpool really only need him for about 10-15 games a season, against big clubs with truely attacking midfielders. against the lesser teams his style stops liverpool from attacking with the flair they can.
saying that they still cant afford to loose him at any price. the guy is a genius with his immaculatly timed tackles. every top striker and attacking midfielder would be much happier facing liverpool without him than with him,
if its rafa decision, he'll stay, if the yanks are deciding, he'll go, then rafa will leave, followed by alonso.
By red. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:59 AM.
What utter guff! Masch not going anywhere, despite his agent looking for a pay day. You can tell silly season is here - lots of laughable press stories
By Mighty Red. Posted June 14 2009 at 10:07 AM.
No comment from the man himself, or from his family? just this 'anfield source'... not sure how true this story really is.
By HappyKopper. Posted June 14 2009 at 10:06 AM.
chopper your an idiot! we'll obviously swap masch for eto, funds from alonso transfer although i really cant see him leaving( hope not) will be spent on silva.
By J. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:38 AM.
if masch goes wil be a big loss, alonso is replaceable but torres to utd? only in fantasy league.
By d o neill. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:38 AM.
Why are Liverpool letting Alonso and Mascharano go for as little as £50m? It should be £50m each!
By due markus. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:40 AM.
Well, what I think is that Mascherano should think it over again because he shouldn't forget that Liverpool FC has supported him. His career is at Anfield Road and nowhere else...
Concerning Manchester Utd bid for Torres, in my opinion they are afraid of Liverpool, they want to take away our beloved Torres to be able to beat us now because it won't be possible again..Torres please stay with us...
By Jessen. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:47 AM.
Mascherano cannot leave Liverpool the team is built around Reina Carragher Masch Gerrard and Torres and Alonso would be an ideal replacement for Masch but as it looks like they are on their way out Liverpool would need players like Iniesta and Xavi witch would be very unlikley as Barca won the champions league Liverpool also need a second striker maybe Eto'o, David Villa would be amazing but cant see Liverpool forking out the cash. as for Fergie signing El Nino i can see more chance of burnley winning the league and utd getting relegated' so Fergie keep dreaming.
By Liam. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:46 AM.
Yeah hes on his way out for sure . Just like Gareth Barry had told friends he was determined to move to Anfield as reported by MR Bascombe a couple of weeks ago .
By ste. Posted June 14 2009 at 8:55 AM.
torres to the mancs ?no chance not for 100 million .
By true red. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:05 AM.
we are Liverpool,let them go,nobodys bigger than the club,i love mascherano.But the wifey's not happy,my ass..
By pkelly. Posted June 14 2009 at 8:15 AM.
Lets face it Liverpool are finished as a top flight club. Theres only one way...down...No Money, disgruntled players, whos next ? Torres? Gerrard?? dont discount it eh?
By Chopper. Posted June 14 2009 at 7:45 AM.
mash is not for sales ...if he go to barcelone his rate is £55 millon OK!!
By sunnee. Posted June 14 2009 at 4:15 AM.
Ah the old 'my wife's not happy' excuse. I'm sure all the Spainish players' wives would be happier in Spain, it's a question of priorities.
By tracey. Posted June 14 2009 at 2:14 AM.
it will be mad if mash and alonso went...then we could get diego and david silva
By abdul basit. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:35 AM.
Lfc should not sale any player rathe buy.
By Harry. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:22 AM.
Its not looking to good at Anfield for next season masch is a good solid player
By mike. Posted June 14 2009 at 1:12 AM.
that's next seasons PL win out of the window if masch goes oh well.
By bonnythescouser. Posted June 13 2009 at 11:29 PM.