River Plate manager Enzo Francescoli and club president Rodolfo D'Onofrio have sounded out Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano about a return to the club where he started his career.

The Argentina international is intent on leaving the Camp Nou but the economic side of the operation may be an issue for Los Millonarios with Barça wanting between eight and 10 million euros for the 33-year-old and River only able to offer in the region of three million, which is a significant outlay for the club given the purchasing power of the peso.


Chinese Super League club Hebei Fortune are also waiting in the wings and are willing to offer five million euros for El Jefecito and also have the bargaining chip of Mascherano’s former international teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi, who has called on the defender to make the plunge into the CSL.