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The Reds website said: “The Spanish club have now been given permission to speak to the Argentina midfielder.”

Liverpool were keen to recoup the £18m they paid three-and-a-half years ago, after Mascherano joined from West Ham.

And the Catalan giants confirmed: “The clubs have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Mascherano for the next four seasons.”

The statement on Barcelona’s website continued: “The deal was closed after intensive efforts made by the club in the final hours and through the player himself in the negotiations.
“Barcelona will report the details of the operation once the player passes the medical and the transfer is concluded.

“It is hoped Javier Mascherano will arrive in Barcelona this weekend.”

Liverpool had rejected an initial bid of £16m from Barcelona seven days ago but reports suggest the new offer is closer to the club’s £25m valuation of Mascherano. (continue reading…)

Owen to play in Carragher’s testimonial
Michael Owen is to pull on the colours of Liverpool for the first time since leaving the club six years ago after agreeing to brave a potential backlash from Manchester United’s supporters by playing for his old team in Jamie Carragher’s testimonial match. Owen, reviled by some Liverpool fans after crossing one of the game’s oldest divides, is said to be uncertain of the reaction he will get from the Anfield crowd but does not have great expectations considering the abuse when he returned last season for the first time since joining their rivals at Old Trafford.

The former England striker has given his word to Carragher, however, that he will play in the match at Anfield on Saturday week, swapping the red of United for that of the team where he began his career. Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, has given him permission to play for 45 minutes and Owen will be in attack for a Liverpool XI taking on an Everton XI.

Dirk Kuyt finally ended uncertainty over his Anfield future after firing Liverpool into the Europa League group stage here last night.

Liverpool were trailing to a fourth-minute strike until an own goal in the 84th minute and a close range finish by Kuyt four minutes later secured a 2-1 win on the night, 3-1 on aggregate.
Kuyt’s agent had claimed he was keen on a move to Inter Milan, but the Holland forward set the record straight by insisting after the match: ‘A lot of people have said a lot of things about my future.

‘For me, it is at Liverpool. I like it here and want to stay and win things.’

It was something Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson welcomed but did not think was necessary.

‘Dirk Kuyt is not for sale so excuse me for not understanding the speculation of being happy now he has said he is staying because I never doubted he was staying,” added the Englishman. (continue reading…)

Liverpool secured a safe passage into the group stage of the Europa League after grinding out a 2-1 win over Trabzonspor in Turkey as Roy Hodgson became the first Reds boss since Bill Shankly to win his first four European games in charge of the club.

The Turkish side drew level 1-1 on aggregate when Teofilo Gutierrez slotted in from a Gustavo Colman shot.
David Ngog headed wide from six yards for the Reds but they got a crucial away goal when Giray Kacar put a Glen Johnson cross into his own net.

Dirk Kuyt completed the win when he slotted in after Daniel Pacheco’s shot had been parried into his path.

Liverpool’s goals came late on in the match as they eventually showed the character to negotiate their way past some awkward opponents.

Trabzonspor had beaten the Reds 1-0 the the first leg of a European Cup tie in the 1976/77 season before the Anfield side overturned the deficit to win the second round tie.
And Liverpool knew it would be a tough task to dispose of the Turkish side who were last beaten at home in December 2009 and had since won eight out of nine at their Huseyin Avni Aker stadium. (continue reading…)

Dirk Kuyt believes Liverpool will hold no fear when they travel to Manchester City on Monday evening as they attempt to deliver an early-season blow to the aspirations of one of their top-of-the-table rivals.
City’s ranks have been swelled by the acquisition of several big-money signings this summer, with many tipping Roberto Mancini’s men to establish themselves as one of the Barclays Premier League’s strongest outfits over the coming months.

However, Kuyt insists confidence is high amongst the Reds contingent following their encouraging start to life under Roy Hodgson’s tenure, meaning they’ll make the short journey to Manchester optimistic of obtaining a positive outcome.

“I think we can look positively towards the game,” he told Liverpoolfc.tv. “After the way we performed against Arsenal, we just have to be positive and go into the game trying to win it.

“Of course, Mancini’s team have bought a lot of new players and it’s a very strong team - but so are we.

“You never have to fear any opponent. Manchester City have bought really good players over the past couple of years and have started to play better and better.

“But the Premier League is one of the toughest leagues in the world and every game, week in, week out, is difficult and you have to make sure you’re ready. (continue reading…)

The skipper feels there is a real buzz reverberating around Melwood at the moment and reckons the 2010-11 campaign will provide the players with the perfect opportunity to show their true worth.

“When you are captain of Liverpool, every single day you have got something to prove,” said Gerrard.

“When you have a new manager and new players coming in, the demands on you to prove yourself intensify.

“Jamie Carragher, Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres are the same. At Liverpool Football Club there is no time to relax. You are expected to win every game you play and perform to your maximum every time you pull on a Red shirt.

“There is lots to be positive about and you have got to give credit to the people high up in the club. They have made a lot of changes to the staff and the players and sometimes that just needs to happen.

“When things like that happen, you get a freshness around the place and that leads to people having smiles on their faces. I’m just glad I’m going into the season feeling positive and with confidence that we can be successful.

“Everybody is going into training feeling good and the fans are looking forward to it.” (continue reading…)

Before you start any task, define the goal, the objective, the target, the line you must reach in order to feel successful.

Otherwise how are you going to know how to feel at the end?

However when Arsène Wenger was asked for his definition of success at his first pre-match press conference of the campaign, the Frenchman’s answer was more specific than you might have expected.

Despite that famous five-year stretch without a trophy, there was no waffle, no flannel and no fudge - just the title.

“Success is to improve from last year,” he explained, “and that is to win the League - it is the only benchmark.

“You cannot finish third and then say the season after, you want to finish behind that. We are a young side and the improvement is natural - the ambition is there, we are hungry for success. (continue reading…)

Liverpool have announced manager Rafael Benitez has left the club by mutual consent after six years in charge.

Benitez, 50, replaced Gerard Houllier as Liverpool manager in June 2004 and guided them to Champions League and FA Cup success the following two seasons.

But last season they made an early exit from the Champions League and finished only seventh in the Premier League.

Managing director Christian Purslow and former manager Kenny Dalglish are to begin the search for a replacement.

The club said there is no timeframe for an appointment and they will make no further comment until a new manager has been installed.
Benitez, who had four years of his five-year contract to run, finalised his departure after agreeing a severance payment and said he was “extremely sad” to be leaving the club.

“I’ll always keep in my heart the good times I’ve had here, the strong and loyal support of the fans in the tough times and the love from Liverpool,” he told the club’s website.

“I have no words to thank you enough for all these years and I am very proud to say that I was your manager.

“Thank you so much once more and always remember: You’ll never walk alone.”

Recently appointed club chairman Martin Broughton thanked Benitez for his efforts, but said it was time for a new era.

“Rafa will forever be part of Liverpool folklore after bringing home the Champions League following the epic final [against AC Milan] in Istanbul but after a disappointing season both parties felt a fresh start would be best for all concerned,” he said.
Former Valencia coach Benitez had been linked with Real Madrid and Juventus in recent months, but with both those clubs now having new men in charge he could be in the running to fill the vacant position at European champions Inter Milan following the departure of Jose Mourinho.

One thing that could delay the appointment of a permanent successor to Benitez at Anfield is the uncertainty over the club’s future ownership.

Liverpool are £351m in debt and were put up for sale by co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett earlier this year.

The American pair’s ownership of the Reds has been a long-running source of discontent for many fans, who are unhappy with the way the club is being run, and there have been regular protests and public disputes.

Benitez had a fractious relationship with the pair, who admitted sounding out former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann about the possibility of him taking over from Benitez at the end of 2007, when they feared the Spaniard could leave the club. (continue reading…)

Inter Milan are lining up a move for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres should Jose Mourinho lure Diego Milito or Samuel Eto’o to Real Madrid, according to reports in Italy.

The European champions lost boss Mourinho to the Bernabeu this week and are bracing themselves for bids for forwards Eto’o and Milito, who scored twice as Inter beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

But the Italian giants are set to move for unsettled Spain hotshot Torres, whose future at Anfield is uncertain following the club’s disappointing season, which resulted in a failure to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.

Chelsea are also lining up a £70million bid for Torres, who is also wanted by mega-bucks Manchester City. But the Eastlands club are now unlikely to move for the star as their failure also to reach the Champions League makes it unlikely the striker would consider a move to Manchester.

Torres fuelled speculation surrounding his future last week when he refused to commit to Liverpool, insisting that he was focusing on a summer with Spain before deciding on his future. He said: ‘The more important thing for me now is the World Cup. My future is the World Cup, We’ll see later.’

Inter look set to join the race for his signature, but would be unlikely to bid should they convince Milito or Eto’o to stay at the San Siro. Mourinho is said to be lining up a double-deal for both Milito and full-back Maicon, but could fall back on Eto’o if the Argentina forward is unavailable.