5 players Liverpool should never have sold

#3 Javier Mascherano

Liverpool have missed Mascherano’s grit, resolve and leadership skills

Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard. What a midfield Liverpool had! However, first Alonso went and then Mascherano and Liverpool struggled to find solidity and quality in their midfield.

A defensive midfielder par excellence, Mascherano was and is still extremely skilled at reading the play, breaking up attacks and picking out the right pass. A tenacious player and a leader on the pitch, Liverpool have really missed the services of the gritty Argentine midfielder.

Mascherano’s spell at Liverpool from 2007-2010 saw the Merseyside giants play some of their best football and emerge as one of the best teams in the Premier League. However, the lure of playing at Barcelona proved to be too strong for Mascherano and the Argentine midfielder has gone on to become one of the mainstays at Camp Nou. The Barcelona player recently revealed in an interview to The Guardian as to why he left Liverpool:

“When Rafa went, they knew I’d leave. I felt the project was falling apart. Rafa had gone, there was no direction.

“I was sad that I had to go the way I did. What happened is what had to happen.

"They promised me that if there was a good offer they’d release me because the club was in a process of disintegration."

Now mainly playing as a centre-back at Barcelona, Mascherano’s versatility, leadership skills and determination have been sorely missed by the Merseyside giants.