The reasons Javier Mascherano wants to leave FC Barcelona

Javier Mascherano has decided to leave FC Barcelona in January. The Jefecito has told the club of his irreversible decision as he thinks the best option for his career is to leave Camp Nou in search of the continuity he's not had in recent months. 

Mascherano has an offer on the table from Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune. The club, founded in 2010, are ready to triple his salary, which is around 4.5 million euros at the moment. In exchange, Mascherano would give up the 18 months left on his Barça deal, allowing the club to save on his salary and invest the money in the winter transfer market. 

Beyond economic reasons, though, the Argentine has other incentives to accept the offer from China, where his teammate Paulinho used to play and has given glowing reviews. 

If Javier accepts the offer from Hebei China Fortune, he will join coach Manuel Pellegrini, who took over in 2016. In addition, he would be united with various players who have played in Europe, such as his compatriot Ezequiel Lavezzi and former Arsenal and Roma winger Gervinho. 

However, the most important thing for the player is to play regular football again, especially with the World Cup coming up next summer. At 33, he has the feeling that it's his lack of minutes which has seen him pick up a number of muscle injuries in the last year.