Frontline Football Blog

The Argentinean was left out of his side's recent 3-0 defeat to Manchester City as his manager, Roy Hodgson, decided the midfielder wasn't in the right frame of mind.

It is believed that Barca had a bid of £16million rejected by the Merseyside club, who are holding out for nearer £25million. Barcelona shouldn't be surprised by the price tag as Mascherano has proven himself as one of the world's best ball winning midfielders of recent years.

The Argentina captain has made it known that he is looking to leave England and move to the warmer climes of Spain or Italy. He has assured Liverpool fans it has nothing to do with the club and was based purely on his wish to move from England.

Barcelona are looking to fill the void in their midfield left by Yaya Toure's departure to Manchester City. They are hoping to claim the La Liga title ahead of rivals Real Madrid again this season and the Spanish La Liga betting odds suggest they could be successful. Mascherano would be a perfect replacement for Toure as both like to sit in front of their defence and break up the opposition's play.

Mascherano has played nearly 100 games in his three years at Liverpool since joining from West Ham after his brief spell in London. It was widely believed the 26 year old would follow his former manager Rafa Benitez to Inter Milan but it appears now that last season's La Liga champions Barca are leading the chase. Hodgson will be hoping to resolve the player's future as soon as possible and not let the situation drag on.

For five years Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been plying his trade in Italy and Serie A. During that time, the Sweden international has blossomed into one of the most highly rated footballers in the world, along with his unique technical skills, wonderful back flicks, and the ability to singlehandedly determine the outcome of a game. Along the road he has also won an incredible five Scudetti (two revoked) and two Italian Super Cups.

This coming season he's switched for La Liga outfit Barcelona that last season completed the very unpredicted historic triple as they rampaged their way to the title, picked up the Copa Del Rey, and lifted the Champions League trophy as they thumped Manchester United in the final by a 2-0 scoreline-all in Josep Guardiola's first season on the Blaugrana bench.

Ibrahimovic's departure has no doubt left a bitter aftertaste in the mouths of the Interisti faithful who have seen their gangly superstar play an integral part in delivering three consecutive league titles to the Nerazzurri-the team that he dreamt of playing for ever since he was a kid kicking his ball around the old pitches of his suburban hometown Rosengård.

To say that the Swede played an integral part is almost an understatement. The dependence on which the team placed on their hit man was more than obvious, as they tended to rise along his moments of sheer brilliance and fall when the burden of carrying the team became too heavy for the shoulders of Ibrahimovic.