Messi Once Again Tells Masch To Join Barca

• zocoss

  23 Jun 09, 21:30

  Double my money: Mascherano puts pressure on Liverpool for a new deal by talking up interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid
  

   

  

  Tug of war: Javier Mascherano is wanted by Barcelona

   

  Javier Mascherano has spoken glowingly of his admiration for Barcelona - cranking up the pressure on Liverpool to offer him an improved contract.

  Rafael Benitez is determined to keep the midfielder from Barca's clutches, but it is suggested the Barclays Premier League club will have to double his £30,000 a week wages to keep the Argentina captain happy.

  Nou Camp boss Pep Guardiola has identified Mascherano as the perfect addition to a stellar midfield that includes Andres Iniesta and Xavi, but the their £20million valuation is nowhere near the prohibitive £50m which Liverpool are understood to have quoted to Barca and Manchester City.

  Real Madrid have also been linked to the 25-year-old and Mascherano told Spanish magazine Don Balon the interest was 'a great compliment'.

  He added: 'For me it represents a great recognition because we are talking about big clubs. 'I feel comfortable in Liverpool, but it is always good to know that teams like Barcelona or Real Madrid are interested. I am very grateful.'

  Mascherano has three years left on his contract, so Liverpool will be reluctant to improve his pay. But he earns far less than captain Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who both pick up more than £100,000 a week.

  As for the best team in Europe, Mascherano is emphatic. 'There is no doubt, Barca are better than the rest,' he said. And Nou Camp idol Lionel Messi, Mascherano's Argentina team-mate, gets the nod above Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka as the greatest talent on the planet.

  'Without doubt, Messi is the best player in the world,' he said. 'To have him close by is a privilege. He knows no bounds in football.'

  Can he be as good as Maradona? 'Time will tell, but it is certain that no one can be sure that he won't be. That puts him on a very high level, among the best in history, without doubt.'

• Agenda

  23 Jun 09, 21:35

  If glen johnson deserves 100k, mascherano should get 200k

• youyayu

  23 Jun 09, 21:36

  yea

• marcteng

  23 Jun 09, 21:59

  thought he said his wife hated life in england and dun want to come back no more? so its a case of wanting more $$?
• limpper

  24 Jun 09, 00:26

  okok, you want triple also can, as long as you stay

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  24 Jun 09, 09:38

  Originally posted by limpper:

  okok, you want triple also can, as long as you stay

  
  N Alonso too
  

• sg_forum

  24 Jun 09, 11:08

  give him please...30K a week is peanut when you give GJ 100K

• deathwish

  24 Jun 09, 11:14

  They pay him 30k only? Not surprised he wants to leave

• iceFatboy

  24 Jun 09, 12:01

  Originally posted by limpper:

  okok, you want triple also can, as long as you stay

  it is nice to hear this, cause once they move, all will want better contract, and this will eat into Liverpool's Balance sheet.. Slowly, but surely, it is just going south..

• limpper

  24 Jun 09, 12:33

  i seriously cant believe someone like macherano only getting 30k? -.-

  he deserve anything near 90k to 100k

• Redster

  24 Jun 09, 12:51

  give him 100k

• MaNyZeR

  24 Jun 09, 13:00

  glen johnson at 100K per week is NOT money well spent. Johnson should get only 30K per week and mascherano at 100K.

  Benitez is senile... by buying johnson at 17 million is crazy, the most stupid transfer act ever in the history of the EPL. Johnson is definitely not worth 17 million. Benitez kanna tok cai tao.

  We shall see if next season johnson lives up to his 17 million tag, my guess is he would not.

• kenn3th

  24 Jun 09, 13:02

  Originally posted by limpper:

  i seriously cant believe someone like macherano only getting 30k? -.-

  he deserve anything near 90k to 100k

  i agree.. 30k is low by any standards..

  Won't be surprised to see Rm or Mc buy this fantastic lad

• zocoss

  24 Jun 09, 21:27

  MESSI APPEALS TO MASCHERANO

  

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  Lionel Messi has again urged Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano to consider a move to Barcelona. The Argentine forward admits he would relish the opportunity to play alongside his countryman at club level.

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  Following speculation he could leave Anfield this summer, Mascherano has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp.

  Admitting to being flattered by reported interest from the Spanish champions, as well as Real Madrid, the 25-year-old has dropped his biggest hint yet that he may switch to La Liga.

  Encouraging his compatriot to consider a move to Barca, Messi admits a possible deal is exciting for him and the club.

  "Of course I would like him to join," he told El Mundo Deportivo.

  "Who would not want to play with great players like Javier? I hope he can come here."

  Messi admitted that his main target next term is to add to Barca's flourishing trophy cabinet. He also spoke of his international ambition, saying: "There are two things I would wish for and the first is that Barcelona can win more trophies, the second is for Argentina to win the World Cup next year.

  "We (Barca) can dream about another treble, but it will be extremely difficult."

  Asked his opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo's impending £80million move to Real Madrid, he said: "If there is a club that sells and a club willing to buy then that is that.

  "I am not going to enter into the rights and wrongs because that is not my place, I just play. "It does seem like a big fee, but as I have said it is not really my place."

• zocoss

  24 Jun 09, 21:42

  I think why he is on $30k only is, when he first arrived from SA to join WH, he wasn't a well known player yet and accepted what WH gave him as it was more than what he got previously in SA and it was also a stepping stone to bigger things... It was also his first time playing in Europe... And when he left WH, his name wasn't as big as Tevez either...

  These last 2 years has been great for him... he has done well at Pool and by right they should have renewed his contract from the one when he first joint them... But they have not done so... I also agree that they should give him something like $80k per week as he deserve it after his performance this last 2 years...

• limpper

  25 Jun 09, 00:11

  fuck man, give him triple of what he's getting now!