Javier Mascherano(credit:
Ryu Voelkel)
Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has rubbished speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea in the summer.
The Argentina international has struggled to make an impact at Barca since joining them from Liverpool in an £18m switch last summer, and reports began to spread over the weekend that he could be on his way out of the Camp Nou at the end of the campaign.
Premier League champions Chelsea were reported to be in the hunt for Mascherano’s signature, but the 26-year-old insists he has no plans to leave Spain and return to England.
He told The People: “I have heard the rumours, but I am calm about my situation.
“I have spoken to nobody because I see my present and my future at Barca, and I don't want to leave this summer.
“It is a privilege to play some minutes in this super-squad and my mission now is to be patient, to learn and to perform at my best when opportunities come.”