Benitez closes in on Mascherano deal

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez expects to sign Javier Mascherano on a permanent basis after selling Momo Sissoko to Juventus on Tuesday.

Benitez is keen to complete a 17 million pounds move for Mascherano, who has been on loan at Anfield since January, and fell out with the club's American owners over their failure to seal the deal late last year.

But Benitez believes Mali midfielder Sissoko's switch to Juventus has freed up the funds to keep Mascherano at Liverpool and he hinted there could be a resolution before the transfer window shuts on Thursday. "I am confident it will be tied up soon.

"Sissoko has gone and we are closer to a deal for Javier," Benitez said.

"The fee we have got for Momo can certainly help as we try to complete the deal. We are working very hard to achieve that before the window shuts. I hope for something positive in the next 48 hours. Javier has made it very clear he wants to stay here and I believe he will."

But we do not need to do anything quickly - he is our loan player until the summer, and it could all be sorted out then. "We have two days, and if we can finish everything now it will be perfect. He wants to stay."