Rafael Benitez seems to have a bit of a selection problem on his hands. In central midfield he has Momo Sissoko, Steven Gerrard,  Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, and now Lucas Leiva.

Mascherano, as we all know, is on loan from MSI. To make the deal permanent, Rafa has to fork out (or generate) around £17m. It is rumoured that Rafa may even have to sell Sissoko and Peter Crouch to raise the required funds. Mascherano has clearly stated that he wants to stay with Liverpool, but his future lies in the hands of MSI.

If at all possible, I would love for both Mascherano and Sissoko to stay. Tthey are young (23 and 22 respectively), and very talented. Sissoko doesn't get enough credit for his performances. He needs to work on his passing a little, though. He is young and has time to grow. Mascherano on the other hand is the epitome of a defensive midfielder. He will only improve. Benitez has stated that he would like to keep the two players. Sissoko, though, is growing frusterated at his limited chances of playing at Anfield.

'Mascherano has clearly stated that he wants to stay with Liverpool, but his future lies in the hands of MSI'


If it really came down to the wire, between Sissoko and Mascherano, I would have to choose Sissoko. On top form, Sissoko is a great player, full of energy and strength.  He was signed from Valencia for £5m. Mascherano, in my opinion, is not a £17m player.

I know it's not another club asking for the money, but still, for £17m Liverpool could sign two, maybe three, very solid players. Selling Sissoko for £8m would be a good piece of business, but to finance it for a permanent Mascherano move is not  a wise decision.

I understand that Sissoko is off form right now, but hopefully he will get back on track and continue his development.  The fact that we also have Lucas, whom we bought for £9m, just further saturates the defensive midfield position, which we have pretty well covered.
   
This is a tough decision to make. Unfortunately, the Liverpool owners seem unwilling to spend large amounts of money. If they do by chance have £17m lying around, I hope they will use it to keep Mascherano. Considering they are financing the building of a new stadium, I am optimistic about our chances of holding on to Mascherano.