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Posts Tagged ‘argentina’

• Internazionale the likely destination for Argentina midfielder
• Hodgson plays down fears over Fernando Torres exit

Javier Mascherano wants to leave Liverpool, the club’s manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed. Hodgson has been speaking to the Reds’ key players since taking over from Rafael Benítez at Anfield and while Steven Gerrard has indicated he wants to stay, the Argentina captain Mascherano is keen to move on, with his preferred destination a reunion with Benítez at Internazionale.

Hodgson has had more positive news from the Spain striker Fernando Torres, who has confirmed his intention to return to the club on Monday and to remain at Anfield.

“Yes, he wants to leave the club,” confirmed Hodgson when asked about Mascherano. “He has made that perfectly clear. I think he wanted to leave a year ago. He wants to leave now but he is contracted to Liverpool so whether he leaves or not will be our decision.

“He is a Liverpool player and will continue to be treated as a Liverpool player until such a day arrives when he no longer is. The mere fact that the player is a little bit unhappy with his situation and would prefer to leave does not necessarily mean that he will do.

“It disappoints me but it is not unusual. I think in every club throughout the world there are players playing in the team who would prefer to leave. Some are allowed to, some are not allowed to. Mascherano is a Liverpool player with a two-year contract. I expect him to honour that contract until the day comes when the club decides to accept an offer for his services.”

Recent speculation suggested Torres was keen to play Champions League football this season and was considering his options. Hodgson said that was not the message the club had received from the Spain striker.

“As far as I know he is looking forward to coming back here; he is back on Monday,” he said. “He is enjoying a holiday – a well-deserved break as he has not had one for three years. He is spending a lot of time with his family, keeping a low profile and as far as I know he is not really speaking to anyone.

“But he has told us that he is looking forward to Monday, looking forward to getting back to work and looking forward to playing for Liverpool next season. That is what I know so other reports, I would suggest, are erroneous.”

Liverpoolguardian.co.uk

• Argentina midfielder keen to join Internazionale
• Mascherano set to be reunited with Rafael Benítez

Javier Mascherano returned to pre-season training at Liverpool yesterday, accompanied by his agent, and told Roy Hodgson that he wants to leave Anfield.

The midfielder’s request will have come as little surprise to the manager. Rafael Benítez, Hodgson’s predecessor at Liverpool, is trying to sign the Argentinian for Internazionale and Mascherano has spent several weeks agitating for a transfer. His agent, Walter Tamer, has stated that it would be a “dream” for his client to move to San Siro.

Mascherano, who has been unsettled at Anfield for some time, missed Liverpool’s pre-season training camp because he was given time to recover from the World Cup. Hodgson is expected to demand at least £25m for the 26-year-old, who was Argentina’s captain in South Africa.

Hodgson is more concerned about the possibility that Fernando Torres could also leave the club, with Chelsea leading the hunt and Manchester City having renewed their interest since Benítez’s departure for Inter.

Jamie Carragher, though, believes the Spain striker, currently recovering from a groin injury he suffered in the closing minutes of the World Cup final, will join Steven Gerrard in deciding to be part of the Hodgson era. “I’m sure that Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will still be involved at the club next season,” the defender told Zoo magazine. “If they are, then the aim for Liverpool must be to get back into the Champions League.”

They finished seventh in the Premier League last season and the 32-year-old said: “Liverpool aren’t a club like Real Madrid, who can just throw £100m at it if we don’t win the title. For clubs like Real Madrid and Inter, it’s a disaster if they don’t win the league, so they go out and spend big money on new players. Liverpool can’t do that – we have to build.

“Next season, rather than thinking too much about the title, we have to concentrate on getting back into the top four. It’s a rebuilding process again and hopefully we can get ourselves right up there.”

A key position for Liverpool to fill is left-back – Fábio Aurélio was released at the end of his contract and Emiliano Insúa is on the verge of joining Fiorentina – during a period of financial hardship that, in the words of Carragher, has shrouded the club in “a lot negativity and it’s been like that for a while”.

But the club denied they were set to sign Royston Drenthe from Real Madrid after the Dutchman posted a message attributed to his Facebook page saying a move to Anfield was imminent. “I will soon be joining Liverpool,” the message says. “I hope I will have a good season with my new club.”

Drenthe is among the players José Mourinho would allow to leave the Bernabéu. The former Holland Under-21 international, who can play as a full-back or winger, is a close friend of Liverpool’s Ryan Babel but Hodgson does not appear to regard him as the solution at left-back. He has failed to fulfil the potential of his early years at Feyenoord since a €14m move to Madrid three seasons ago, at the age of 20.

Liverpool’s new signing Milan Jovanovic says the players are keen to get the season started on Thursday, when they play a Europa League qualifier against Rabotnicki in Macedonia. “I know we will be ready to play in Europe,” he said. “I am really looking forward to it. For all players all over the world, you have to be proud when Liverpool come for you.”

LiverpoolFernando TorresJamie CarragherTransfer windowDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk

• Argentina midfielder reports for pre-season training at Melwood
• Roy Hodgson faces task of persuading player to stay at Anfield

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.

The club’s medical staff have warned their manager bringing the likes of Gerrard, Carragher, Glen Johnson, new signing Jole Cole and Daniel Agger back too soon may have dire effects later in the season. But a largely reserve side has failed to score in two pre-season friendlies and Hodgson admits he may not be able to afford to take the risk of not using senior players.

“I don’t know what to do at this stage,” he said. “I will have to liaise with them and [head of sports science] Peter Brukner and make a decision by Tuesday on what sort of team I can put out.

“I can promise the Liverpool fans we will put out the best possible team, without compromising the future. It is going to be a difficult discussion between myself and Peter because his feeling is we shouldn’t use any of them and I am going to be tempted to say I want to use quite a few of them.

“The only players I will take will be the ones that I definitely think will play a valuable part in the game. If we are talking about senior players, it would be players prepared to start the game. I would not take Steven Gerrard there to play for the last 10 minutes as a substitute.”

One senior player who will be available is the midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who sat out Saturday’s friendly defeat to Kaiserslautern with a knee problem. “Peter Brukner told me he ran for the first time on Saturday so I would expect him to be fit for Thursday,” added Hodgson.

Liverpoolguardian.co.uk