FOR a while there, I thought we were turning into a selling club. Instead of being linked with Kaka, Ronaldo and the Koh-i-noor diamond, we were the subject of the wrong sort of transfer speculation, having to fight off marauders from the renascent Spanish League for our carefully-assembled ‘spine’.

With the Real Madrid elephant vacuuming up top players like peanuts and Barcelona the current ‘Hollywood’ club to be associated with, it’s perhaps no surprise that the likes of Alonso and Mascherano are being linked with these glamorous names. While it’s reassuring to see Liverpool officially putting up the ‘Not for Sale’ signs, nevertheless the nagging fear remains that one or both of these critical midfield players may yet depart our shores should their heads be turned by flattery from warmer climes.

It’s tempting to dismiss comments of Mascherano’s agent as the usual bluster, but talk at the weekend of his unsettled family added to my feeling of unease

Mascherano himself has not exactly been rushing to the microphones to give his agent a metaphorical slap, and has so far spent the close season vacillating between speculating on his employers next season and pledging allegiance to the cause.

Mind you, he’s probably still holed up in Ecuador with his national coach trying to plot an exit route after their latest World Cup debacle. One thing’s for sure though: Rafa’s comment that Barcelona “couldn’t afford him” has looked a bit sick in the light of last week’s ‘Supermarket Sweep’ by Real; Barca are unlikely to let the close season go by without one trophy signing and Lionel Messi might be whispering in Javier’s ear as we speak.

At least with Alonso we know the face of the enemy: Florentino Perez has made no secret to add our Midfield Maestro to his latest Galacticos project, and seems poised with a tempting bid.