Arsenal miss out on teen keeper, Mascherano stays

Arsenal have drawn a blank in their bid to sign gangly goalkeeper Odesseas Vlachidimos. The 6ft 3in shotstopper is currently on Stuttgart's books and, according to the Daily Mail, the Gunners were alerted to Vlachidimos' potential by Jens Lehman. The former Arsenal star is Stuttgart's No1 keeper and has been working with the Vlachidimos in recent months.

Arsenal are reported to have tabled a £1m bid for Vlachidimos, still only 15 despite his size, but the offer was rejected by Stuttgart. The Mail says, however, that Vlachidimos is desperate to leave Stuttgart – who suffered the ignominy of a 4-0 thrashing by Barcelona in the Champions League last week – and sees Arsenal as the ideal finishing school. But with other premier League clubs rumoured to be interested in Vlachidimos, not to mention one or two Italian clubs, Arsenal will have to increase their offer if they wish to prise the teenager from Stuttgart's grasp.

Interesting news from Anfield where, according to the Sun, Javier Mascherano will sign a new contract worth £20m after Barcelona decided not to make a bid for the Argentina captain. The Spanish giants sounded out the 25-year-old midfielder  last summer about a possible move to the Nou Camp, but  nearly a year down the line Barcelona's interest appears to be waning as the eye up instead the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Franck Ribery. And with Liverpool reportedly ready to up his wages to £90,000 a week, Mascherano is suddenly finding Merseyside more agreeable.

"The club are talking with my agents," said Mascherano, who arrived at Anfield in 2007. "I don't like to be involved in the contract meetings so I leave that to my agents and the people at the club. Liverpool know I want to stay. I don't think it will be difficult to arrive at a deal and we will see what happens in the next few weeks." As for  those rumours suggesting he had tired of life in Liverpool, Mascherano's riposte was emphatic: "I have never said I was not happy at Liverpool. That was the press."

Meanwhile Manchester City haven't given up hope in signing  Jerome Boateng in the summer. The German international defender was first linked to a move to Eastlands last year, and such has been his superlative form this season – helping Hamburg to the quarter-finals of the Europa Cup – that City's brawling boss Roberto Mancini sees him as an ideal bulwark in the Sky Blues' back four. According to the Daily Mail City will offer Hamburg £11m for Boateng, even though the German club are said to be eager for the 6ft 3in centre-back to extend his contract until 2013.

Finally, if Spanish rag Sport is to be believed Champions League chumps Real Madrid are lining up Jose Mourinho to replace Manuel Pellegrini as their next coach. The Inter Milan boss will be offered a deal worth €11m after tax, plus an additional €1.5m for every title won, says Sport, a Catalan-based newspaper. Apparently Mourinho was Real's first choice last summer but he decided to extend his contract with Inter. Now, however, the 'Special One' might be tempted to try his luck in Madrid, although with Ronaldo already settled at the Bernabeu would there be room for another Portuguese preener? ·