He’s spent over seven years at the club.
FC Barcelona will hold an ‘institutional farewell’ ceremony for Javier Mascherano tomorrow, which will be live streamed on the club’s official website, Facebook page and YouTube channel at 10am GMT.
#ThankYouMaschehttps://t.co/TDLoGrzqmx
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 23, 2018
The Argentine is leaving the club after seven and a half seasons at the Nou Camp, during which time he played 334 matches, scoring just one goal which came from the penalty spot last season.
Since arriving from Liverpool in August 2010, Mascherano won 17 titles with Barcelona, helping the Catalan giants to two Champions League triumphs: once in Pep Guardiola’s famous 2010/11 side and later in Luis Enriqué’s inaugural 2014/15 campaign when Barça won the treble.
Mascherano joined as a defensive midfielder, but played mostly at centre-back for Barça despite standing at only 1.74m. Initially used as a stop-gap to help during an injury crisis, he made the position is own by performing expertly in the role and forming a formidable partnership with Gerard Piqué.
He is expected to join Hebei China Fortune in the Chinese Super League, who are managed by Premier League winner Manuel Pellegrini. If the moves goes through, Mascherano will join up with his compatriot, Ezequiel Lavezzi, who has played for Hebei Fortune since 2016.
Barcelona are already prepared for like without ‘Masche’, having signed 23-year-old Colombian centre-back Yerry Mina earlier in this January window from Palmeiras.
