Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano admits his on-off move to Barcelona last summer was frustrating.

He wanted the move for the sake of his family because life in the Catalan city would have allowed them to speak in their native Spanish.

"The situation with Barcelona really affected me," he said. "It was a shame it didn't happen as it was the city I wanted to live in.

"There were many discussions and problems during that month and a half. They were difficult times for me. One day I was off to Barcelona, the next I wasn't.

"And Liverpool said I was non-transferable. Psychologically, it affected me as I couldn't think in Liverpool and I was focused on other stuff and not on my work, my training and playing.

"Also we were having problems with Argentina as our qualification to the World Cup was in danger.

"There was a lot of complicated stuff at that time."