Barcelona Transfer News: Javier Mascherano Stay Expected, Latest on Denis Suarez

Barcelona’s technical director, Robert Fernandez, expects Javier Mascherano to stay at the football club despite speculation linking him with a move away.

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo (h/t Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror) in May, the defender has agreed terms with Juventus ahead of a possible transfer. But as relayed by the club’s official Twitter feed, Fernandez has rejected suggestions of a departure:

The 31-year-old looks to have a lot of years left at the top level too. While there were ropey moments last term, Mascherano still possesses a dynamism to get to the ball, tenacity in the tackle and a brilliant intelligence when it comes to his positioning.

However, football journalist Rafael Hernandez thinks selling the Argentina international could free up money to use elsewhere:

One player set to be at the Camp Nou next season is Denis Suarez. The playmaker spent the 2015-16 campaign at Villarreal after completing a transfer to the club last summer and impressed in his creative duties at the Madrigal.

Fernandez confirmed Barcelona have a buyback clause in Suarez’s contract, though, and they have advised their Liga rivals they will be activating it, per sports journalist Samuel Marsden:

The 22-year-old was key to what was a memorable term for Villarreal, as they secured a UEFA Champions League berth with a fourth-place finish in La Liga before progressing to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. Here is a look back at some of his best moments from the campaign:

It’s easy to see Suarez slotting into the Barcelona system. He’s a young player who developed various areas of his game with Villarreal and the season before at Sevilla. The midfielder is adaptable, can slalom past opponents with his superb balance and regularly delivers a telling final ball.

What his acquisition may do is cast doubt over the futures of some of Barca’s other attackers. Arda Turan, for example, is likely to have his game time limited even more, while youngsters Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez are set to be pushed further down the pecking order.

Fernandez revealed Barcelona have been on the hunt for another attacking player since the winter, per Grup 14:

Nolito excelled in the early parts of the campaign with Celta Vigo, propelling the Galician outfit up the table and triggering talk of a push for Europe.

However, an injury over the festive period sapped both his and the team's momentum. The winger will be hoping to make an impression as part of the Spain squad at the upcoming UEFA European Championship.

David Ramos/Getty Images

As noted by MisterChip (English) the 29-year-old has been in exceptional form when donning La Roja jersey:

Mascherano may not be the most glamorous name in the Barcelona squad, but he’s a player they would find tough to replace. Jeremy Mathieu, Marc Bartra and Thomas Vermaelen don't have the same range of attributes, meaning the club could be pushed into spending big to land a partner for Gerard Pique.

The problem when it comes to the pursuit of Nolito is the presence of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. As exceptional as the Celta man has been for the last two seasons, he’s always going to be playing a supporting role to those three, who are arguably the finest attackers in world football. For a footballer who is 30 in October, he’ll surely want to be a key man.