MASCHERANO TO BECOME PERMANENT SIGNING

Javier Mascherano is to become a permanent signing before the transfer window expires on Tuesday.

His comments come after Mohamed Sissoko switched to Juventus for £8.2million, giving the Reds the money to finance the deal.

Mascherano - whose loan switch to Anfield from West Ham began last January and is due to end in the summer - has third-party ownership and the Premier League will have a new rule in place soon to outlaw such agreements.

But with Sissoko's departure, Liverpool have the funds to make a sizeable down-payment on the midfield player who is valued at £17million by his owners, MSI group.Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks agreed to the outlay this week and Benitez wants to tie-up the transfer as quickly as possible to ward off other clubs.

SISSOKO TO JUVENTUS?

Momo Sissoko is all set to become an Juventus player if everything goes right in the upcoming week.Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko could fulfil his dream move to Juventus by the end of this week.

The Serie A outfit hope to acquire the 23-year-old, who was signed by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez from Valencia in the summer of 2005 for a reported 8million euros.

"It's a matter of a few days," Sissoko told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Three days, a maximum of four, and then everything will be decided. I know there has been some movement but we have to wait."

The Mali international is currently with his national team at the African Nations Cup.

"I confess that wearing the Juventus shirt would be the maximum for me," he said. "I have been a Juve fan since I was a child because when I was young I was fixated with (Zinedine) Zidane. Then, having followed this team, I have become a fan of (Juve captain Alessandro) Del Piero, a great player."

Sissoko would also like to work again under coach Claudio Ranieri, his boss in Spain.

"I've known Ranieri since my time at Valencia," said Sissoko. "I did really well with him."

Sissoko has struggled to keep a regular starting place at Anfield and wants to have more playing time.

"My reason is a very simple one, I am young and I want to play," he said. "In Liverpool, I'm not playing.

"But I will also be grateful to Benitez for what he has given me. But in football, things change."