The Argentina midfielder is reportedly still unhappy
over Benitez’s refusal to sell him to Barcelona in the summer. The
situation has been further exacerbated by the club's subsequent
refusal to hand him a pay rise that he felt was promised to him to
ease his disappointment at missing out on a dream move to the Camp
Nou.
However, Mascherano's performances have not hit the heights that
they did in seasons prior, and the Merseyside club are reluctant to
offer the midfield enforcer an improved contract until he returns
to the level of consistency that originally endeared him to
the Kop.
There was never any prospect of Benitez selling the
25-year-old once Xabi Alonso was allowed to join Real Madrid
in a £32 million deal. With the Spanish star gone,
and new-boy Alberto Aquilani still yet to make his debut due to
injury, Benitez has been extra-reliant on Mascherano to
deliver the goods.
The former River Plate, Corinthians and West Ham United
player is currently earning around £60,000-a-week.
in liverpool, it's the player that earns his contract thru'
actions in the field, not thru' whining his way in the
press....