​Javier Mascherano has ruled out a move to join the Chinese football revolution amidst ​reports he will sign a new contract at his current club Barcelona.

There had been growing speculation that the Argentine was considering leaving the Nou Camp with the option to join a club in China and of course reap the financial rewards that comes with the move.

Mascherano rules out shock China move https://t.co/mU9Em2GnMO — SPORT English (@Sport_EN) October 5, 2016

It now appears however, that this will not be the case, with the player reportedly closing in on signing a new deal with Barcelona and ending the speculation for now.

Mascherano joined the Catalan giants from Liverpool in 2010 and was converted into a centre back by old boss Pep Guardiola, having originally played as a midfielder for the Reds. The move proved a success as the 32-year-old has since formed a consistent and dependable partnership with Gerard Pique at the heart of the Barcelona defence.

The Argentine has won an impressive array of trophies since joining the current champions of Spain, including two Champions Leagues along with three La Liga titles.





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Despite this success and with his current contract running down, there has been growing speculation that Mascherano could leave the Nou Camp, with China a possible destination for him.

The Chinese Super League has taken the football world by storm, signing plenty of household names such as Demba Ba, Tim Cahill and Gervinho to name a few. With money no issue for many clubs in China, players are being lured out to play in China with the offer of multi-million contracts.

Chinese firms have invested $2bn in foreign football clubs since January last year https://t.co/I19Dlh5Sa1 pic.twitter.com/BX2n8Jqlkp — The Economist (@EconBizFin) October 6, 2016

However, it is now believed that the centre back has told his agent not to listen to any offers from Asia as he looks set to sign a new contract with Barcelona, following his return from international duty with Argentina.

It has yet been confirmed how long this new deal will be but it is believed that Mascherano is looking to remain in Spain until at least the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with the player perhaps concerned about his chances of selection for the competition were he to be playing outside of Europe.