Liverpool are desperately attempting to tie up a permanent deal for Javier Mascherano.

The Daily Mail says with the Mascherano deal on hold until the club's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, have their much heralded meeting with boss Rafael Benitez later this month, there are concerns that Mascherano could slip through the net.

Both Barcelona and Juventus are monitoring the situation, and Liverpool know they must come up with £17million to make the loan deal permanent.

Whether the Americans will sanction that deal remains to be seen, and has been one of the main fears for Benitez as he has expressed his concerns about the club's transfer policy.