Pellegrino feels Masch may move on

zocoss SG

You Mess join us at Barca
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LEO MESSI has risked the wrath of Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez by openly inviting close pal Javier Mascherano to Barcelona. SunSport broke the news that the Catalans had contacted Mascherano’s agent to try and lure him from Anfield for £20million.

The Kop idol’s agent confirmed our story and now Argentina star Messi is leading the campaign to get the midfield anchor man to the Nou Camp.

Messi said: “It will be beautiful if Barcelona signed Javier, as a player and as a friend.

“Not only to have him on the pitch but also off it as well. He’s a great player and would be a great signing.”

Benitez has been desperate to quash talk about Mascherano’s future after his agent admitted he had met Barca technical director Txiki Beguiristain.

Barca boss Pep Guardiola rates Mascherano highly and the star is rumoured to be pining for a move to a Spanish-speaking country.

Messi also spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80m world-record move from Manchester United to Real Madrid.

He hailed the arrivals of Ronaldo and £56m Kaka to Real. He said: “With them La Liga will be stronger. It will be a beautiful year.”

omgukilledkenny SG

No biggie la.

Masch did the same with Tevez, Torres with Villa too.

limpper SG

-.-

dont do it openly lar.

liverpool really cannot afford to lose mascherano

zocoss SG

Pepe Reina

Top target: Barcelona fancy Liverpool's Pepe Reina

Barcelona are set to push Rafa Benitez's patience to the limit by launching a bid for Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina. The European champions have already been met with resistance in a move for Anfield midfielder Javier Mascherano - but Lionel Messi has stepped up the pursuit by inviting his friend to the Nou Camp.

Benitez has insisted neither Mascherano nor Real Madrid target Xabi Alonso is for sale and now he faces a raid for is 26-year-old keeper.

Barcelona are moving for Reina after contract talks with Victor Valdes broke down yesterday. The treble winner has a year left on his contract and wants to be paid the same £150,000 a week that midfielder Xavi gets.

But the club and his agent Gines Carvajal suspended talks indefinitely with Barca not prepared to go above £100,000 a week.

The Catalans are working on a number of options but have identified Reina as the safe choice, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo. They believe he would cost at least £17million but could force a move if he declares a desire to return to Spain four years after leaving Villarreal.

Messi has also tried to coax his Argentina team-mate Mascherano into pushing for a move, despite Benitez insisting even £50m wouldn't tempt him to sell.

Messi is quoted in The Sun as saying: 'It will be beautiful if Barcelona signed Javier, as a player and as a friend. Not only to have him on the pitch but also off it as well. He's a great player and would be a great signing.'

International superstars: Argentina captain Javier Mascherano (left) with Gabriel Heinze (centre) and Lionel Messi

Reina earlier this month insisted his future was at Anfield. If Barcelona fail to sign him, Fiortentina's French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey has been mentioned as an option in Italian press while £10m-rated Villarreal keeper Diego Lopez and Athletic Bilbao's Gorka Iraizoz are also on their radar.

A £5m swoop for Spain Under 21 keeper Sergio Asenjo is close, but Barcelona are likely to want the option of a more experienced recruit as well. The 19-year-old Valladolid keeper is wanted by Fiorentina, but his agent Zoran Vekic says he would rather stay in Spain.

Barcelona could hold Valdes to his current contract while Asenjo acts as understoody, but would be tempted to try to cash in with reported interest from Manchester United.

zocoss SG

SPANISH DREAM ... Javier Mascherano

SPANISH DREAM ... Javier Mascherano

Walter Tamer met Barca technical director Txiki Beguiristain at the city’s Juan Carlos Hotel yesterday.

Now the deal SunSport revealed on June 6 is a step closer, with Barca manager Pep Guardiola willing to pay £20million.

Full-back Alvaro Arbeloa could also be on his way to Spain as Real Madrid are closing in on an £8m deal.

That move was also first revealed in SunSport and the player himself has admitted he will return to La Liga one day.

Losing Arbeloa, 26, would not be a disaster for Kop boss Rafa Benitez as he has already signed Glen Johnson from Ports-mouth for £18m.

But he has always insisted that tough guy Mascherano, 25, is not for sale as the Argentine ace has cemented a reputation as one of the best holding midfielders in the country.

Yet if Benitez wants to have any chance of landing other top targets like in-demand Valencia striker David Silva, it looks increasingly likely he will have to be prepared to pay the price.

Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1) SG

lolx Javier ah , dun be a idiot to go Bar...

even Bar also traget Robinho..

zocoss SG

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina

They are confident they can lure back the Anfield stopper, who began his career at the Nou Camp. Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola has personally recommended Reina, whose father played for Barca, to his board after losing patience with Valdes.

Valdes, who only has a year of his deal to run, wants £150,000 a week. But Barcelona will sell Valdes now rather than give in to his demands — or allow him to leave as a free agent next summer.

Reina cost Liverpool £6m when he was signed by Rafa Benitez from Villarreal in 2005. But his value has rocketed after four impressive seasons at Liverpool, where he has become a firm fans’ favourite.

Reina, 26, spent the first two years of his career at Barcelona and played 30 games for the club before moving to Villarreal in 2002. He still has strong ties with the club through his father, Miguel, who lives in the city.

Benitez is sure to resist any move for Reina but knows the club’s precarious financial position means he has to sell before he can launch another major spending spree this summer.

omgukilledkenny SG

Mauricio Pellegrino admits Barcelona target Javier Mascherano could leave Liverpool this summer as "money always makes the decision".

The Argentina midfielder is said to be a target of Barcelona and it is claimed his agent, Walter Tamer, met with officials of the Spanish club on Wednesday.

Reds manager Rafa Benitez is adamant that Mascherano will not depart the side as he sees the 25-year-old as a vital component of his squad.

However, Anfield coach Pellegrino concedes 'anything is possible' in football, as Barca and Real Madrid continue to be linked with an offer for Mascherano's services.

"Every time negotiations are underway, money always makes the decision," Pellegrino told sport.es. "Anyway, Mascherano is such an important player for us, like other ones can be for Barca.

"I do not want to say anything about it because we already know that in football's world, nothing is impossible."