da roleta：
da bet nacional： Oh how the mighty have fallen. In a mere thirteen months since finishing within four points of the Premier League title, Liverpool now find themselves in an unholy mess. Shorn of long-serving manager Rafael Benitez, the club face the prospect of several key names departing Anfield this summer. With no guarantee that any transfer fees recouped for departing players would be invested in replacements, this could be the toughest summer upon Merseyside in recent memory.
Following several previous flirtations with Barcelona, Argentina captain Javier Mascherano appears to have set his heart upon a move to the continent this summer. With Benitez the man responsible for launching Mascherano’s career in Europe, the 26-year-old has unsurprisingly been linked with a move to Inter Milan. Indeed Mascherano’s agent has said that the prospect of his client moving to the San Siro is a possibility, having alluded to the fact that, “There has already been a first contact with (Inter sporting director) Marco Branca.” The player himself has been coy about a move, stating “I am learning Italian, but I don’t know anything about Inter. Does Benitez want me? You should ask him as he would know more than me.”
Should Mascherano make the move to Inter, it is feasible that he may be joined by another of Benitez’s favourites. Dirk Kuyt, another member of the Liverpool contingency still left at this summer’s World Cup, has cast uncertainty over his Anfield future. Responding to questions about a move to Inter Milan, the Dutchman said “We have to see what happens. I also have a great time at Liverpool and I still have a two-year contract. My focus is on the World Cup but I’m still happy to play at Liverpool. But who knows what happens in the future? We have to see.”
Most worryingly of all for Kopites is the possibility that captain and talisman Steven Gerrard may have played his last game in the red of Liverpool. Having previously spurned opportunities to join Chelsea in the summers of 2004 and 2005, the 30-year-old may finally decide to seek pastures new this summer. With Liverpool banished from the Champions League for at least one season, and with a squad insufficient to mount a credible title challenge, Gerrard may see a move this summer as his last opportunity to realistically win some of club football’s biggest honours.
Although Gerrard has neither confirmed nor denied a desire to leave Anfield, his silence has acted to fuel the air of uncertainty surrounding his future. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, the man who tried to buy Gerrard (twice) in the mid noughties as manager of Chelsea, has reiterated his admiration for the England captain. Speaking of Gerrard (and Gerrard’s England team-mate Frank Lampard), Mourinho admitted that “both [are] great players who always give everything.” Additionally, Mourinho increased speculation that he is considering a move for Gerrard by vocally expressing his penchant for “players in the final part of their careers.”
With club managing director Christian Purslow confirming that no players will be allowed to leave Liverpool until a new manager is installed, it appears as though Mascherano, Kuyt and Gerrard will be staying put for the time being. Hopefully, whoever is installed as manager will be able to prevent a mass exodus at Anfield this summer.
Do you think the above trio will remain at Liverpool this summer?
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