Javier Mascherano would have no qualms about leaving Barcelona.
The Argentina international has been at the Camp Nou since August 2010, when he put pen to paper on a four-year contract after Liverpool agreed to sell him for €24million. He has since gone on to win two league titles with the Spanish giants, whilst he also started and finished the UEFA Champions League success over Manchester United in 2011.
Mascherano still has three years remaining on his existing deal in Catalonia having renewed terms last summer, but recent reports suggest he could be sold by new coach Gerardo Martino during the current transfer window. And if this proves to be the case, the 29-year-old midfielder insists he will have no qualms in seeking first team football elsewhere.
“You never know. In football, you have to be prepared for anything,” he told El Pais. “There were calls from somewhere else, but no offers. There are always doubts. You are at Barcelona and you have to fight for your place. The question is whether you now fight in the same circumstances, as I have always had to win my starting place throughout my career. It’s as it should be. If Barca tell me they don’t need me, I will be off within a minute.”
The Express claim a return to Anfield could be a possibility for the player, who initially arrived on Merseyside from West Ham United in February 2007. Although he failed to add to his silverware collection during his time in England, he was a key part of the Rafael Benitez sides which lost the Champions League final in 2007 and finished runners-up to Manchester United in the Premier League title race two years later.
