Should he stay or should he go?

[Hansern]

Mascherano is back from his holiday, and there was just some footage from Melwood of him training on SSN.
I'm guessing we'll hear something very soon about his situation.

Do you want him to stay, or have you had enough of his antics and childish behaviour about dream moves to both Inter and Barca?

It's been one of the worst kept secrets that he wants to move, and that Inter or Barca are his preferred destinations. With Barca having cash problems, Inter is probably the only club that is an option at the moment. And they have plenty of cash.

He's clearly unhappy with his his current situation, and I'm guessing his wife is very keen on leaving aswell.
Getting 25-30 mill £ for him would be a good deal, and if we manage to get in a very good replacement and spend the rest of the money on a striker. Then I say sell him, asap..

 

[manwithnoname]

Inter don't have plenty of cash, which is why Benitez is selling Balotelli to Shitty in order to fund a bid for Masher.

We'll get about £25m for him.

 

[Hansern]

They spent 70 mill £ last season, and have just won the league, cup and Champions league.
They have cash. Moratti can spend what he wants to..

But you're right, I also think the fee will be around 25 mill £.

What we do with that money is the most important question...

 

[Squiggles]

We have to sell him, there's no other option.

1 year from now he'll be worth £12-14M, which would be a criminal loss of money.

 

[RolandG]

I would like to hear form the horses mouth whether he wants to stay or go. If it's the latter and we get to re-invest the funds in the squad then I'll take the 25 million or whatever is on offer.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=41140.msg1142463#msg1142463 date=1280137297]
Inter don't have plenty of cash, which is why Benitez is selling Balotelli to Shitty in order to fund a bid for Masher.

We'll get about £25m for him.
[/quote]


Just give us Balotelli + 15 mill. Sorted.

 

[Squiggles]

A striker has to be the priority, as well as a new CM.

12M/13m apiece.

We signed Alonso for a similar figure. Buying decent players in that price can be done. it just takes more of a search. I'm not too keen on Poulsen...

 

[Frogfish]

We have little option, if he stays and doesn't sign the contract that has been in front of him for a few months then we'll get peanuts for him next season. Sell now for 25 - 30M.

 

[Squiggles]

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=41140.msg1142471#msg1142471 date=1280137712]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=41140.msg1142463#msg1142463 date=1280137297]
Inter don't have plenty of cash, which is why Benitez is selling Balotelli to Shitty in order to fund a bid for Masher.

We'll get about £25m for him.
[/quote]


Just give us Balotelli + 15 mill. Sorted.
[/quote]

Why would they do that when City want to buy Balotelli for £20m+?

 

[manwithnoname]

Yeah, £25m = new striker, new CM.

If those two signings are spot on, we could be in a good position, first team-wise.

 

[Y1]

Striker plus CM? Our LB has not been sorted yet.

 

[Dahuge]

I would prefer him to stay as I like him as a player but it would appear he wants to leave so let him go for min £25 mill.

Reinvest that in a CM and Striker.

 

[Sunny]

[quote author=Y1 link=topic=41140.msg1142478#msg1142478 date=1280138062]
Striker plus CM? Our LB has not been sorted yet.
[/quote]

According to some it has - Figueroa - although we'd need LB cover as well

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=Y1 link=topic=41140.msg1142478#msg1142478 date=1280138062]
Striker plus CM? Our LB has not been sorted yet.
[/quote]

Yes it has.

 

[Y1]

[quote author=Sunny link=topic=41140.msg1142483#msg1142483 date=1280138590]
[quote author=Y1 link=topic=41140.msg1142478#msg1142478 date=1280138062]
Striker plus CM? Our LB has not been sorted yet.
[/quote]

According to some it has - Figueroa - although we'd need LB cover as well
[/quote]

Until it is from the offal or from our 'Insiders' here, it is not sorted.

 

[keniget]

I want him to stay as he'll be difficult to replace and he's the only central midfielder we have at the moment that can be trusted to do his job and do it well. That said, he wants to go and if a suitable offer arrives we're probably going to have to accept it and do our best to replace him.

25M is the absolute minimum we should be demanding from Inter. They are an incredibly rich club and similar midfielders have gone for mad amounts (even if you disregard City). The hard decisions will come if Inter don't play ball and rely on Masher to kick up a stink. With him only having 2 years left on his contract, I'm not sure how much room to manuevre we have. Ideally in this scenario we'd promise him a move next summer if he signs a new contract. He seems like the sort of guy that will still give 100% on the pitch even if he is unhappy off it. I can't see that happening though.

 

[Insignificance]

I want him to stay, and I dont blame him for this mess. If it is so that his wife/family is unhappy in North of England then it makes his life difficult. It can be for a short period, but if people are unhappy in the area it is natural for him to look elsewhere. I am sure he would like to stay himself, but have to priority his familys happiness.

 

[ILD]

Do Inter really need him? They have Cambiasso and Tiago Motta who can play the as the defensive shield. Masher has age on his side but it's not really a priority signing for them. Rafa seems very keen and will prob part with 25million to sign him. As others have said, 25million is the minimum we should accept.

 

[DHSC]

My fear is we will not have all the proceeds from his sale ploughed back into the transfer kitty.

 

[Insignificance]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=41140.msg1142499#msg1142499 date=1280140410]
Do Inter really need him? They have Cambiasso and Tiago Motta who can play the as the defensive shield. Masher has age on his side but it's not really a priority signing for them. Rafa seems very keen and will prob part with 25million to sign him. As others have said, 25million is the minimum we should accept.
[/quote]

The same could be said about Barcelona. They have allready Busquets in the position, and how much I rate Mascherano, I am not sure they would allow Busquets to be benched as he is homegrown material, and only marginally weaker than Mascher.

 

[Oncy]

Sell. He wants to go and his 'I wish I'd left last year' shit left a bitter taste.
Jog on Mascher. 25m please suitors.
Or 20m plus a decent LB, DM or CF.

 

[Squiggles]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=41140.msg1142499#msg1142499 date=1280140410]
Do Inter really need him? They have Cambiasso and Tiago Motta who can play the as the defensive shield. Masher has age on his side but it's not really a priority signing for them. Rafa seems very keen and will prob part with 25million to sign him. As others have said, 25million is the minimum we should accept.
[/quote]

It's Rafa...

 

[Hansern]

I would be extremely happy if we landed someone like Khedira as Maschers replacement.

There are a lot of good central midfielders out there that are availeble for a decent sum, and Roy has showned that he can spot a good deal so I have every faith in him and CP.

 

[Hansern]

Javier Mascherano returns to Liverpool with future still up in the air
• Argentina midfielder reports for pre-season training at Melwood
• Roy Hodgson faces task of persuading player to stay at Anfield

Javier Mascherano has been linked with a move away from Liverpool. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

The Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano met up with his new manager, Roy Hodgson, for the first time this morning after returning to pre-season training.

The Argentina captain has been uncontactable since going on holiday after the World Cup but was back at Melwood on schedule, along with his compatriot Maxi Rodríguez.

Hodgson tried to speak to the 26-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a summer reunion with the former Reds manager Rafael Benítez at Internazionale, following the end of the player's involvement in South Africa.

However, the 62-year-old Englishman was only able to leave messages for Mascherano telling him he was looking forward to meeting him back on Merseyside as his calls were not returned.

Hodgson will outline his plans to Mascherano in much the same way as he has already done to Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Fernando Torres in an attempt to persuade him he has a future at Anfield.

But there still remains a nagging doubt that the combative midfielder, who was offered a new contract in the latter stages of last season, has set his sights on a move elsewhere.

Neither Mascherano nor Rodríguez will be available for Thursday's Europa League third qualifying round first leg tie against Rabotnicki in Macedonia. However, Hodgson admits he may have to field a number of his other World Cup stars earlier than he would have liked

 

[LeTallecWiz]

[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=41140.msg1142502#msg1142502 date=1280140803]
Sell. He wants to go and his 'I wish I'd left last year' shit left a bitter taste.
Jog on Mascher. 25m please suitors.
Or 20m plus a decent LB, DM or CF.
[/quote]

If he wants to stay, let him stay.
If he wants to go, let him go.

I'm happy with 20 million + Balotelli, or 25 million + Cambiasso.

 

[TheBunnyman]

I'd love him to stay, but it's hard to imagine him signing a new contract - and if he doesn't, then we've really got to sell. What worries me is Inter hanging on till the end of the transfer window in order to drive the price down, knowing that they're the only club in for him. We need to give some kind of deadline for this or we'll end up in trouble.

As for replacements... if Defour really is available for £9m, I think he'd be good. I'd also be quite interested in a part-exchange with Cambiasso. We won't find an out-and-out defensive destroyer as good as Masher, so we need to find a different kind of player to replace him.

 

[ILD]

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=41140.msg1142504#msg1142504 date=1280141178]
[quote author=ILD link=topic=41140.msg1142499#msg1142499 date=1280140410]
Do Inter really need him? They have Cambiasso and Tiago Motta who can play the as the defensive shield. Masher has age on his side but it's not really a priority signing for them. Rafa seems very keen and will prob part with 25million to sign him. As others have said, 25million is the minimum we should accept.
[/quote]

It's Rafa...
[/quote]

I know, I know.

 

[refugee]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=41140.msg1142510#msg1142510 date=1280141840]
I'd love him to stay, but it's hard to imagine him signing a new contract - and if he doesn't, then we've really got to sell. What worries me is Inter hanging on till the end of the transfer window in order to drive the price down, knowing that they're the only club in for him. We need to give some kind of deadline for this or we'll end up in trouble.
[/quote]

Sign a new contract (please) or get out.

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=41140.msg1142510#msg1142510 date=1280141840]
I'd love him to stay, but it's hard to imagine him signing a new contract - and if he doesn't, then we've really got to sell. What worries me is Inter hanging on till the end of the transfer window in order to drive the price down, knowing that they're the only club in for him. We need to give some kind of deadline for this or we'll end up in trouble.

As for replacements... if Defour really is available for £9m, I think he'd be good. I'd also be quite interested in a part-exchange with Cambiasso. We won't find an out-and-out defensive destroyer as good as Masher, so we need to find a different kind of player to replace him.
[/quote]

Yeah. Agreed.

Never, EVER try and buy a "like-for-like" replacement. Very rarely works.

 

[Squiggles]

I think they'd have to be more defensive minded that Defour though.

He was touted as a replacement for Alonso, but I'm not convinced he has the toughness to fill in for Mascherano.