Barcelona confirmed on Tuesday that defender Javier Mascherano will leave the club this month, with Spanish media reporting the Argentinian is heading to Hebei China Fortune. The Catalan giants said the 33-year-old would be given an official farewell on Wednesday and say goodbye to fans at Thursday’s Copa del Rey quarter-final, second leg against Espanyol. “Javier Mascherano is leaving FC Barcelona after seven and a half seasons,” the club said on their website. The five-time European champions did not specify where Mascherano was going, but Barcelona sports paper El Mundo Deportivo reported that he will “this Friday become part of the squad of his new club Hebei China Fortune who are doing their pre-season in Marbella (in southern Spain)”. Only two non-Spaniards, Lionel Messi and Dani Alves, have played more games for Barcelona.

Source: Punch January 23, 2018 17:26 UTC