Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson admits Barcelona must up their bid to land Javier Mascherano.

Hodgson was forced to drop the 26-year-old for Monday night's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City after admitting the player had been affected by the interest from Spain.

But the 62-year-old insists Mascherano will not be allowed to leave for anything other than his full market value, which the Anfield club believe is nearer £24million.

"Unfortunately the fee the club thinks is the correct fee and the fee we are being offered are very far apart," said the Englishman.

"Unless that can be resolved he might be unhappy for a long time to come.

"But I have no wish to create headlines over the Mascherano situation.

"The discussions between Barcelona and the club are being held at high club level and as a result I don't really want to get involved in it.

"It is not the first time these things have happened and there are quite a lot of clubs suffering at the moment by their players being courted by others and their players being unhappy at being required to fulfil their contracts.

"It has happened to us now. Hopefully matters will get resolved, certainly before the end of the transfer window and I'll have a chance to pick him again, but last night would not have been a good time to select him.

"It will happen, I guess, a day when the offer for him matches our valuation, but until that day he stays with us."