Liverpool FC Forum

[Ciggy]

Mascherano

Balague to Joorabchian: It's come out that Liverpool - 'oops' - forgot to put first option in the contract with Mascherano. Is that the case, and have they missed on that opportunity? And is that where the interest of Barcelona comes in?

Joorabchian: No, I don't know where that has come out actually. I think that the people that leaked that don't really know what the contract says. The contract says - it's a very standard contract which was sort of structured by the Premier League. Liverpool have first option to sign Javier. What Liverpool didn't do is to secure with Javier his contract for a period after his loan term expires. But at the time...

Balague: What do you mean, Liverpool didn't take that option, or didn't renew it, or...?

Joorabchian: So for example if Liverpool want to take first option, they will come up and say "we've exercised our first option". Then they have to sit down with the player, and they have to make a new four year contract, five year contract... player's contract - and that's what they haven't secured. So if the player doesn't want to stay there, then he has an option to leave, basically.

But you know, even if they had signed a four year contract, and the player wasn't happy to stay there, who's gonna pay a lot of money for a player that doesn't want to be there? Nobody.

Balague: So are Barcelona not interested then?

Joorabchian: There's obviously a lot of clubs gonna be interested in Javier. Javier's proved himself in England, and proved himself across the European scene, and proved himself on the world scene; but I think it's far too early to start talking about Barcelona, Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester, Arsenal, or whatever, because he's still got until June, and a lot of things happen on a weekly and a daily basis in football. I think that everybody hopes that Liverpool like him, and they keep him. Whether they do or not is purely Liverpool's choice.

[Dundalk]

Well Joorabchian is going to sell him to the highest bidder but didnt Masch say he was happy in Liverpool and wanted to stay there

[account deleted by request]

Bit silly not to put a time limit of 4/5 years on the option, but I suppose it would be no use if he didn't want to stay anyway. Basically he can just walk away if he wants at the end of his loan. I hope he/Rafa decides his future lies with us. Players like Mascher don't come along every day.

[Reg]

There´s no sentiment involved here, like with Heinze, other clubs will bid the price up just to screw us and reduce our war chest. Its gonna be painful but dont worry!! - we have Big Rick Parry holding our purse strings........

[kunilson]

there's no question of mascha's quality, we have to sign him up....

[Ade]

There´s no sentiment involved here, like with Heinze, other clubs will bid the price up just to screw us and reduce our war chest. Its gonna be painful but dont worry!! - we have Big Rick Parry holding our purse strings........

Will be gutted if we lose Masch. This guy is a rare diamond. Best to lock him into talks now to let him know how much we want him and love him, before any of the big continental teams even try to start turning his head.

Far as i'm aware, the fee to sign him permanently was set when we took him on temporarily, so it's not as if it can rise or fall through any negotiations now. Important to know where we're heading on this one. If he left it would be a big big blow. He is going to be one of the best midfielders in the world, and within the next year or so.

[Leonmc0708]

Players like Mascher don't come along every day.

Managers like Benitez dont come along every day.


doesnt stop bellends on here talking shi.t about hi though.

[Toffeehater]

screw kia , LFC gave masch a chance and signed him and this is how the kia repays us at least give us the option to reach his evaluation of 17 million and sell masch to us , dam barca coming in and spoiling the whole dam show , don't they already have enough players , i think if masch goes there he can prepare to warm the bench like how owen did at real madrid

[metalhead]

Mascherano wants to stay, he said that because he wants to repay the faith that Benitez gave to him. Its Benitez who ressurected Masch Career not Barcelona.

We will sign him, I'm confident.

[Toffeehater]

kia is selling off players like they are whor3s , same things gonna happen to manure for tevez and his brother , he's gonna screw them up and sell them to other teams for higher price

[Ciggy]

Was superb last night.  That is all.

[mungi]

dont we have first option to buy him. doesnt matter what the price rafa will buy him. if we lose him it will be a big loss. prob y rafa bought so some mids this summer. hope we dont lose mash

[Ade]

Was superb last night.  That is all.

Man of the match for me. Benny's hat-trick was well taken, and his link play was good too - he passes better than Garcia and chips in with goals too.

Voronin was a revelation, Kewell looked composed when he came on, but Masch was immense. He set up the first goal with a clinical tackle to feed Voronin, who fed Crouch, and his part in Gerrard's goal was sublime. He can pass short, pass long, and his reading of the game is a level above most midfielders in the league. Awesome player, who never seems to have a bad game.

[burjennio]

Was over on Tues for the games and been thru all the other threads were everyone pretty much summed up everything I wanted to say, except how good Masca was while the game was still competitive in the 1st half. This was the first time i'd saw him play live and he was simply fantastic, the guy is always in the right place to break down the opposition attack. He just gives the other midfielders that extra security that he has them covered and I would love to see him signed permanantly (Please Mr hicks, please!)

[stmichael]

awesome player. just sign him up, whatever the fee.

i've heard £18m is the reported price. considering the mancs paid that for hargreaves i think it's a snip for probably the best player of his type in europe.

he's only 23-24 aswell.