Barca throw budget at Liverpool star Mascherano as they wait on Fabregas

Published: 01 Jul 2009 - 14:40:20

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Barca throw budget at Liverpool star Mascherano as they wait on Fabregas

Barcelona are ready to shell out their entire £26million summer transfer budget for Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano. The European champions made attempts to sign Cesc Fabregas, but will wait another year unless AC Milan make things complicated by making a move for the Arsenal captain. Barca's bid is well short of Liverpool's valuation of their Argentina international, but the Catalans are reluctant to follow Real Madrid's lead by spending beyond their means. They could raise their bid by offering players to Liverpool or raising further funds by selling, for example, Samuel Eto'o to Manchester City. Mascherano, 25, is thought to be keen to listen to Barcelona's offer and his agent Walter Tamer has already met Nou Camp officials. Barca sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who controls all transfers at the Nou Camp, has already had what was described as 'a brief telephone conversation' with Benitez. Fabregas recently insisted he was 'wholeheartedly committed' to Arsenal, but many expect him to eventually return to the club where he came through the ranks before joining the Gunners as a 16-year-old. However, despite attempts by Begiristain and a personal intervention by Barca president Joan Laporta, there is a growing acceptance that Fabregas won't move this summer. In fact, according to Spanish newspaper AS, the 22-year-old's future is instead tied to a different Nou Camp powerbroker. Fabregas is said to have an agreement with Sandro Rosell, who hopes to unseat Laporta as president next summer.