Javier Alejandro Mascherano (born June 8, 1984 in Rosario, Santa
Fe in Argentina) is a soccer player who currently plays for the
Brazilian team Sport Club Corinthians Paulista as a midfielder.
While playing for Club Atlético River Plate in mid 2004, several
clubs including Real Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña declared
an interest in signing Mascherano, but River Plate turned down
all offers, saying that none of the interested parties were
prepared to pay enough. However, Brazilian club Sport Club
Corinthians Paulista acquired him from River Plate for US$ 15
Million.
Mascherano was part of the gold medal winning Argentine team at
the 2004 Summer Olympics. As of 2005, has 11 caps for the
Argentine side at full international level.
In 2005, he won the Campeonato Brasileiro with Corinthians,
togather with Argentine teammates Carlos Tévez and Sebastián
Domínguez.
In late 2005, he was linked with a move to Manchester United, a
team who needs another defensive midfielder to fill in for the
leave of Roy Keane. The price of bringing him to Old Trafford
was estimated to be around 25 million pounds; however, nothing
seems to have come of this speculation. |
