JAVIER MASCHERANO is reportedly in line for an emotional return to River Plate.
The Barcelona defender has not played for a month, although boss Ernesto Valverde says he is not thinking about selling the Argentina international.
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Tribuna claims that River Plate manager Enzo Francescoli and club president Rodolfo D'Onofrio have been in touch with Mascherano to gauge his interest.
But there could be a stumbling block, with Barca keen to get at least £7million if they are to sell.
The report claims that the Argentinian club may only be able to stretch to around £2.5m, with Chinese outfit Hebei Fortune also keen.
Mascherano is likely to fall further down the Nou Camp pecking order with the arrival of Colombian centre-back Yerry Mina in January.
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But earlier this week Valverde hinted that the player could still have a future with the Catalan giants.
He said: "For the time being, Mascherano is one of our players and when he's played, he's played well.
"He is committed to the club on and off the field and for the moment we don't have to think about anything else."
Mascherano joined Beunos Aires-based River at the age of 15 and came through the ranks to spend two seasons in the first team.
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Brazilian side Corinithians then snared him, before he soon joined West Ham in a controversial third-party move in 2006.
He played just seven games before Liverpool snapped him up. Barcelona bagged him for around £20m in 2010.
He has since netted four Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.
Mascherano has won 141 caps for Argentina and is just two behind Javier Zanetti's record, which he is set to break in the lead up to Russia 2018.
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