BARCA MAKING pounds 25M MOVE FOR MASCHERANO; Football Spy: Benitez facing a fight to keep him.

Byline: DAVID ANDERSON 

RAFA BENITEZ'S transfer plans could be thrown into chaos by a pounds 25million bid from Barcelona for Javier Mascherano.

The Champions League holders are refusing to give up their pursuit of the Liverpool midfielder and are ready to test Benitez's resolve with a concrete offer.

Sources close to the Argentina international say he would be interested in speaking to Barcelona who are willing to hand him a huge pay rise from pounds 25,000-a-week to over pounds 80,000-a-week.

The pounds 25m fee would help finance Benitez's rebuilding work at Anfield, but he can't afford to let Mascherano leave with Xabi Alonso set to join Real Madrid.

The Reds boss will rebuff any bid from Barca, although he may have to hand Mascherano improved terms to keep him happy.

Alonso seems determined to quit Liverpool this summer and wants his future resolved before he is due to report back in just over two weeks' time.

Benitez and Real remain poles apart in their valuation of Alonso with the Spanish giants only prepared to pay pounds 22m and the Reds boss demanding pounds 35m.

The two sides also cannot agree on a fee for Alvaro Arbeloa either. Real have offered pounds 3m but Benitez wants at least pounds 5m.

Arbeloa's agent, Manuel Garcia Quilon, is in Madrid for talks with Real and the deal is expected to be completed in the next few days.

In another blow to Benitez's plans, pounds 7m flop Andrea Dossena claims he is happy to stay at Liverpool as Juventus's interest in him cools. In better news for Benitez, Argentinian winger Sebastian Leto has completed his switch to Panathinaikos, swelling his transfer kitty by pounds 3m.