Fernando Torres is remaining confident Javier Mascherano will stay at Liverpool, insisting the Argentine has no reason to leave.
Liverpool rescued Mascherano from West Ham’s reserves to return him to the very top echelons of European football, where he is now regarded as one of the top holding midfielders in the world.
The Argentina captain stated during the season that he owes a lot to The Reds, yet his loyalty is being tested by reported €45 million interest from European Champions Barcelona.
Mascherano's agent, Walter Tamer, reportedly met with Barcelona’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain at the Rey Juan Carlos I hotel for two hours, but Torres insists the player is happy at Anfield.
“Javier loves it at Liverpool – that is all I can tell you. In the summer people make a lot of noises about world class players – and Javier is world class,” Torres told The Daily Mail.
“He has said himself he is very happy at Anfield and there is no reason for him to want to leave.”
Meanwhile, Albert Riera has pleaded with Rafa Benitez to hold on to Mascherano and Xabi Alonso at all costs.
“It’s vital Liverpool keep all their players. Alonso, Arbeloa and Mascherano are really important, they give us experience and quality.
“If we want to win the Premier League the first step is to keep them.”