Sport Forward: Mascherano 'will stay' at Anfield

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is confident Javier Mascherano will sign a permanent deal to stay with the club.

The on-loan midfielder has been linked with a �17m move to Manchester City but Benitez is upbeat that the Argentine will remain at Anfield.

"He said to me that he wants to stay here, so I have confidence," he said.

Liverpool would have to negotiate with Media Sports Investments, the consortium which "owns" Mascherano, to agree a permanent contract.

Benitez's attempts to buy the player were recently blocked by Liverpool's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

But the Liverpool manager remains optimistic of securing a longer-term agreement, beyond the 18-month loan period which expires this summer.

"Clearly, I hope Mascherano stays here," he said. "I am confident he can be persuaded to stay.

"He is playing well and everyone knows he is a good player and there are not too many world-class holding midfielders around.

"He wants to stay, our supporters like him and we will try to keep him."

Mascherano and his advisers are believed to want to tie up a deal as quickly as possible.

Liverpool risk the midfielder signing a pre-contract agreement elsewhere if they do not offer him permanent terms by next month.

In October, Mascherano said he hoped he can do enough to turn his loan deal with Liverpool into a permanent move at the end of the season.

"I'd love to stay and I will do everything I can to do so. It depends on what everyone decides at the end of the season," he said.

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