Javier Mascherano Discusses Barcelona Future, Hints at Summer Transfer

Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has revealed this season may be his last at the Camp Nou.

The 33-year-old has enjoyed a tremendous time with Barca since joining from Liverpool in 2010 and was one of the best centre-backs in the world at his peak. However, speaking to TyC Sports (h/t Martin Domin of the Daily Mirror), he hinted his time may be coming to an end in Catalonia.

"I have my contract to honour with the club, but obviously, once the season is over we'll see what needs to be done—I haven't spoken to anyone about it yet," he said. "At Barcelona, they've always said that they're happy with me and I have time to think about it."

Per James Dale Sky Sports, the player agreed a three-year contract with Barcelona in 2016, meaning that deal has the best part of two season to run. As OptaJose noted, the Argentina star has been a stalwart for the club:

While Mascherano is still a dependable option for the Blaugrana, in the past couple of seasons, he's found himself out of the team more and more.

Samuel Umtiti arrived from Olympique Lyonnais in 2016 and has been impressive in partnership with Gerard Pique at the heart of the Barcelona defence. Mascherano has been utilised as a rotational option as a result, starting four of the team's seven games in La Liga this term.

And the veteran had no issue saying that both Pique and Umtiti deserve to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

"It's clear that I'm playing less for my club because we have two centre-backs who are better," he said. "I am trying to battle to win my place—or at least be ready when I am called on." 

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

It appears Mascherano still believes he can do a job at club level. As B/R Football relayed, he's set to walk away from the national team setup after next summer's FIFA World Cup, having enjoyed a stellar spell with Argentina:

With that in mind, the upcoming summer is likely to be a big one in Mascherano's career. While he would still have one season left on his Barcelona deal, based on his quotes, it appears as though he's considering a change of scenery.

With his international commitments over, perhaps Barcelona will see the benefit of keeping him around for the duration of his contract. While he may not be the force he once was, Mascherano is experienced, intelligent and versatile; finding another player who can offer those traits would be tough.

Much will rest on the player's intentions too, as Mascherano appears keen to continue playing frequently. If he can't be guaranteed that at the Camp Nou, he may well embark on a new challenge in the twilight of his career.