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• Midfielder’s four-year deal has buy-out clause of €90m
• Mascherano takes No14 shirt once worn by Thierry Henry

Javier Mascherano has finalised his move from Liverpool to Barcelona after signing a four-year deal, the Spanish champions confirmed this evening.

The 26-year-old midfielder’s contract has a buy-out clause of €90m and he will take the No14 shirt, which was previously worn by Thierry Henry.

“The truth is it’s a dream, it’s a great joy,” Mascherano told Barca TV after a five-hour medical. “It is a great club with great players and I will try to adapt as quickly as I possibly can.”

The Argentina captain and former West Ham midfielder left Anfield after three years on Merseyside.

BarcelonaLiverpoolTransfer windowKaty Murrellsguardian.co.uk

• Training would suit his fitness, says Roy Hodgson
• Player keen to be involved with Spain

Liverpool’s appeal for Fernando Torres to be spared international duty is likely to be ignored with the striker keen to play for Spain and expected to start next week’s friendly against Argentina.

Roy Hodgson yesterday called on the Spain manager, Vicente Del Bosque, to omit Torres from the Euro 2012 qualifier in Liechtenstein on Friday and the friendly in Buenos Aires next Tuesday. The Liverpool striker joined his international team-mates on Sunday evening, having been named in the squad last week. After losing his regular starting place in the Spain team in South Africa, where he was hindered by a knee problem, it is believed Torres does not want to jeopardise his involvement under Del Bosque further by making himself unavailable for selection.

Hodgson believes a two-week training programme on Merseyside would suit Torres’s long-term fitness rather than preparing for matches with Spain. But he admits Liverpool are powerless to prevent their record signing featuring in the double-header. “We can’t say he’s unfit to play because he’s just played 85 minutes against West Bromwich Albion,” said Hodgson. “We can only ask the question, propose that this is the best option for the player but we don’t have the right to pull him out.

“The more work our sports science people can do with him, to build him up, give him basically the good pre-season that all players need, the better it will be for his long-term future. If we’re unable to do that because he’s asked to play so many matches in this early part of the season it’s going to effect us negatively.”

Fernando TorresRoy HodgsonLiverpoolSpainAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Liverpool and Barcelona yet to agree on player’s valuation
• Barça offer €15m plus Hleb and Cáceres

Javier Mascherano took a step further towards a transfer to Barcelona with the Liverpool midfielder believed to have agreed personal terms with the La Liga champions. The two clubs, however, are some way apart in their valuation of the 26-year-old, with Barcelona offering €15m (£12.2m) plus Alexander Hleb and Martin Cáceres.

Despite the eagerness of Mascherano to leave Merseyside, where his wife and young family are believed to be unhappy, interest from other clubs had been tentative, with Barça’s sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, last week ruling out a move for the player, while Roy Hodgson had already publicly challenged Internazionale to meet Liverpool’s £25m asking price.

Whether Barcelona, who are believed to have debts of more than £350m, can up their offer is unclear, and much depends on how highly Hodgson rates Cáceres and Hleb.

Cáceres, the Uruguay international defender, spent last season on loan with Juventus after struggling at Camp Nou, while Hleb has proved even less of a success since joining from Arsenal in 2008. The Belarus midfielder was last month told he has no future under the Barça coach, Pep Guardiola, after spending last season on loan with VfB Stuttgart.

Meanwhile, the Liverpool goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri has completed his move to Serie A newcomers Cesena. The Brazilian was signed from Palmeiras in July 2008. However, he was only ever considered back-up to the first-choice José Reina and as a result made 10 appearances for the first team.

The arrival last week of Middlesbrough’s Brad Jones, who qualifies as a ‘home-grown’ player despite being an Australia international, signalled the end of Cavalieri’s Anfield career. Liverpool have confirmed Jones will now take over the No1 shirt vacated by the Brazilian.

LiverpoolBarcelonaTransfer windowJames Callowguardian.co.uk