New Barcelona signing Javier Mascherano has warned Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson that he will reveal the truth behind the “lies” that surround his departure from Anfield.
The Argentinean midfielder claimed that his move to Camp Nou was a year overdue and insisted that there was never an offer made by Rafael Benitez to join Inter, reports The Guardian.
Mascherano was reported to have refused to play against Manchester City as he sought to force through a move to Spain, with Hodgson accusing him of being ‘selfish’.
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But at his Barca unveiling, he said: “Roy Hodgson knows the truth. This is a happy moment for me so now is not the time to say it, but a lot of lies have been told about me and I will respond to them.
“Last year Liverpool would not let me leave. There was no way they would sell me. They had Xabi Alonso and me, and they would only let Xabi leave,” he continued.
“I was disappointed not to be able to sign [for Barcelona] last season. When the best club in the world calls you, then it is something that you want to happen.
“I have signed for the only club who really wanted me. In no moment did I ever think that Inter was a possibility. Rafa [Benitez] valued me and perhaps that is why people started saying that I could go there but this is the only club that pushed to sign me.”
However Mascherano was keen too to rebuild bridges with the Liverpool fans saying, “I hope they get back into the Champions League as soon as possible. I still have a lot of affection for the fans of the club and I always will.”
