Not so long ago, it appeared that Liverpool had finally moved forward after a horrendous summer that saw the club lurch from crisis to crisis.

But with Joe Cole already descending from the heavens and rejoining the mere mortals of Merseyside after a sending off and a missed penalty - and Javier Mascherano now on his way out of the club - Roy Hodgson must already be thinking of packing his bags and leaving a club which is seemingly always in a perpetual state of self-destruction.

Having seen off the threat of a mass exodus earlier in the summer by securing the future of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, Hodgson must have been caught blindsided by the decision of Dirk Kuyt to announce he wants to join Mascherano and jump ship. Although Kuyt has since committed himself to the Liverpool cause, it isn't exactly the most stabilising rumour to hit the dressing room and may have a ripple effect on the English Premiership betting.

With fans already suggesting that Hodgson will be under pressure unless his side are in the mix for the European places sooner rather than later, and the club still looking for a new owner, there must be concerns that the new man in charge will want someone to manage the club who they have chosen, thus representing a threat to Hodgson's job security.

With Hodgson clearly a man who will not be bossed around by interfering owners, and with his new club in dire need of a takeover to help secure a successful future, it is not the most unlikely scenario in the world that a new takeover may result in Hodgson's exit.

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.