Rumour Mongering: Mascherano to Make Anfield Return

Two Barcelona rumors! It must be my lucky day.

Anyway, it is easy to get nostalgic for the days when the likes of Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Javier Mascherano had the Kop singing—and not without reason—that Liverpool had the best midfield in the world.

For Mascherano, now 33-years-old, his midfield days are behind him, and he has moved into Barcelona’s backline, when deployed at all. The former Liverpool man lamented his lack of playing time—just 8 appearances so far—as he contemplates moving on from the Nou Camp.

“In Barcelona, it is obvious I am not playing at the frequency I played before,” Masch said in an interview.

“I’m still playing, I’m still competing, I’m in a team where every game I play is because I earn it in training, but it’s clear there are many times you want to play more.

“I’m not saying that I have to play more, because the starters are two players of the highest level and there is not much more to do there.”

Well, you kind of are saying you have to play more, but we’ll put that aside for now. So, this defender isn’t getting playing time. Liverpool need a defender. This defender even played at Liverpool. Obviously he’s coming to Liverpool.

Even considering the journalistic laziness here, this move doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Liverpool definitely need defensive reinforcements, but bringing in a player who is on the wrong side of thirty (by quite some margin) is probably not going to create the big step up in quality we all hope for.

In his day, Mascherano was boss, and would definitely improve this team. But in football as in life, sometimes you have to let the past be the past.