SOCCER:ROY HODGSON expressed his anger at being coerced into the sale of Javier Mascherano last night as he condemned the Argentina captain's "selfish" attitude ahead of a proposed €24 million move to Barcelona.
The Liverpool manager hopes, however, to reinvest the fee in three new players – possibly Paul Konchesky, Ola Toivonen and a central midfielder – before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
Mascherano will finally join the Spanish champions this weekend, subject to a medical and more than a year after the Catalan club first moved for the midfielder, after Liverpool compromised on a fee for the 26-year-old yesterday.
Liverpool had placed a €30.5 million price tag on a player signed for €23 million in 2008 and rejected bids of €19.5 million and €22 million from Barcelona, plus a €7.3 million and Sulley Muntari package from Internazionale, before accepting Barca’s third and final offer.
Last week, Hodgson said he would rather tie Mascherano to his contract until 2012 than accept less than the club’s valuation, and said the Inter president, Massimo Moratti, had promised there would be no approach for any Liverpool players from the reigning European champions days before they faxed an offer.
“A joke fax to keep some people at the club happy,” said Hodgson, who claimed his Anfield predecessor, Rafael Benitez, was behind moves for Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt.
But Hodgson admits he was given no alternative than to allow Mascherano’s exit following his non-appearance against Manchester City on Monday and efforts to leave Anfield.
“There are a lot of factors I don’t want to be drawn on too much,” Hodgson said. “But it’s not easy to defend his actions because professionals are paid to play and when called upon to do so, they should.
“But it is a complicated situation to be fair to him. So this situation can occur unfortunately and you have to live with it. That’s why we have to be forgiven for getting irritated when agents stir things even more.”
Mascherano has been discontented at Liverpool since being refused a move to Barcelona last summer due to Xabi Alonso’s departure to Real Madrid.
Hodgson believes Mascherano owed more respect to the club that rescued him from a miserable spell with West Ham.
The manager said: “I don’t think players mean it as a challenge to your authority or the club’s, but it’s a selfish situation where they want to do something and then expect the club and me to bow down and accept they are going to get their way.
“Players must also understand when you sign contracts, you do so to play. If the club decides it’s going to accept an offer for you and let you go then that’s one thing. If the club say ‘you have a contract, we’re not selling’, then therefore they are staying.”
Liverpool have little time to reinvest the proceeds from Mascherano’s impending sale, but Hodgson wants a new left back, central midfielder and forward before the window closes.
A deal for the Fulham defender Konchesky is expected to go through once Carlos Salcido completes his transfer from PSV Eindhoven to Craven Cottage, while Toivonen, the PSV forward, is under consideration.
