Roy Hodgson will make a final attempt to keep Javier Mascherano at Anfield when the Argentina captain returns to training in the middle of next week.
But Goal.com UK understands that, should Mascherano state his desire to leave, Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen has been identified by the club as a possible replacement. Despite widespread speculation that Mascherano is ready to rejoin his former manager, Rafael Benitez, at Inter, Liverpool are adamant that there has been no formal contact with the European champions and deny that any talks have taken place over his future.
Hodgson, who admitted he was unconcerned over Mascherano’s failure to return his phone calls, will have his first opportunity to talk to the player and persuade him to remain at Anfield. “My real work will begin when I get back to Melwood and find the 13 players who were at the World Cup,” he said yesterday.
One source close to Liverpool said: “You have to remember that we went through all this last year with Mascherano and Barcelona and it ended with him staying at Liverpool. This is transfer talk that has gone round and round in circles and the manager has yet even to speak to Mascherano.”
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/23/2038259/liverpool-manager-roy-hodgson-looking-to-christian-poulsen
