The news every Liverpool fan has been waiting to hear for months and months looks set to break this week. No, sorry, Hicks is still at the club, but the deal to keep Argentine international midfielder Javier Mascherano looks set to be completed in the next few days.

Mascherano has been at Anfield since January 2007, but only on a long-term loan deal from Media Sports Investment, who own Liverpool’s number 20.

But today Mascherano was positive and revealed that a deal is close to make him a permanent Liverpool player once and for all.

He said, “I have a lot of confidence that, after the next week, I can say ‘everything is right and I am staying here in Liverpool’.

“We now need to wait. We are very close but we need to talk again.”

It is thought Mascherano will cost Liverpoool around £18million.