.
.
Rafa Benitez has admitted that Liverpool have
opened talks with Javier Mascherano about extending his
contract.
The midfielder has been strongly linked with a move away from
Anfield for some months, with Barcelona said to be the most likely
destination.
The Reds have continually denied that the Argentina
international is for sale, particularly as the reports came so soon
after the club sold influential midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real
Madrid in the summer.
Mascherano, who has admitted to finding it hard to settle on
Merseyside in the past, appears to have turned the corner and
discussions are under way.
"We were talking with him and his agent a month ago about our
idea and his idea," Benitez said.
"Everyone can see he's doing really well and has come back to
his best. We were really pleased to talk to him to make
progress.
"We have plenty of time but we are happy with him and he is
happier now too. He has two more years on his contract, we were
talking before and we will sit down sooner rather than later and
talk about the future.
"The last conversations that we had were very positive."