Mascherano on verge of exit

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is believed to have told manager Roy Hodgson of his desire to leave Anfield.

The Argentina captain has been strongly linked with a move to Internazionale, where he would be reunited with former Reds boss Rafael Benitez.

Mascherano has been unsettled on Merseyside following a recent lack of success on the pitch.

The 26-year-old midfielder’s future, alongside that of captain Steven Gerrard and star striker Fernando Torres, has been the subject of intense speculation.

But while the latter pair seem set to stay at Anfield this summer, Mascherano is reported to have told Hodgson of his wish to move on.

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Meanwhile, Paul Scholes has revealed he was given just two hours to decide whether to come out of international retirement to play in England’s World Cup campaign.

The Manchester United midfielder turned down the 11th hour approach made by Fabio Capello’s number two Franco Baldini just hours before the squad for South Africa was announced.

England crashed out of the tournament at the last 16 stage following a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany despite being strongly fancied to go far by the sportsbooks.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp has admitted Jonathan Woodgate is in danger of missing out on his final squad eligible to compete in the new Premier League season.

Each club must submit a final 25-man squad list on August 31 and only those players listed can compete in league games until the winter transfer window opens on January 1.

Woodgate has been sidelined since last November with a long-running groin problem which required surgery.

Veteran defender Sol Campbell looks set to sign for Newcastle United ahead of the new Premier League season.

The 35-year-old former England international had been in talks with both Sunderland and Celtic alongside Arsenal where he ended last season.

However, he appears to have settled on the Magpies where he is now expected to sign a one-year contract at St James’ Park.

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has suggested his team wouldn’t favour one driver over another in the aftermath of Ferrari’s Formula One German Grand Prix controversy.

With 17 laps remaining at Hockenheim on Sunday, Felipe Massa appeared to allow team-mate Fernando Alonso to overtake him as the pair landed a one-two finish.

The dust has yet to settle on the incident and Whitmarsh has cast his mind back to 2007 when Lewis Hamilton and then McLaren racer Alonso both finished one point behind Ferrari’s world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

“We sacrificed a World Championship in 2007,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“We lost by one point. Had we leaned in my opinion to the advantage of one of our two drivers that year – and there were lots of temptations to do so – then it would have made enough of a difference to have acquired the extra point to have won.

“There is always a bit of you which says we shouldn’t have done that but overall I’m proud we did.”