LIVERPOOL were today given a massive boost after Pepe Reina agreed a new long-term deal – now the club are hoping Javier Mascherano will follow suit.

Rafa Benitez has been desperate to get the future of his influential goalkeeper sorted out and he will be delighted that talks with Reina’s advisors have now reached a successful conclusion.

Signed from Villarreal in the summer of 2005, the Spanish international has been one of Benitez’s biggest success stories and is currently on course to win his fourth ‘Golden Gloves’ – the Premier League award for most clean sheets in a season.

There has never been any suggestion that Reina, 27, was looking to move away from Anfield – on more than one occasion he has reiterated his commitment to the club – but Benitez wanted him to have a deal that recognised his standing.

That is now the case and once Reina returns back to Merseyside following Spain’s friendly with France tomorrow night, the formalities of putting pen-to-paper on the contract that will take him through to the end of 2014/15 campaign.

Despite working under strict financial constraints, Benitez is attempting to safeguard the club’s long-term future and in the past 12 months he has tied up Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Yossi Benayoun and Daniel Agger.

Reina will soon be added to that list and the hope is that Mascherano – who has been a target for Barcelona – will do likewise and agree a contract a new two-year extension to end the speculation that has surrounded him.

Mascherano’s current deal expires in 2012 but Liverpool are hopeful that the terms being offered to Argentina’s captain will finally stave off Barcelona’s interest and keep him on Merseyside.

Benitez has been endeavouring to lay lasting foundations and a clear sign of that came at the weekend when Academy Director Frank McParland and Pep Seguera secured the signing of the highly-rated 15-year-old Raheem Sterling from QPR.

Meanwhile, Daniel Agger is facing a race to be fit for Liverpool’s trip to Lille next week after scans showed he severely bruised a bone in his knee during the 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.

Agger left Anfield on crutches and was immediately ruled out of Denmark’s friendly with Austria tomorrow night but fears that he had suffered serious ligament damage were allayed after a scan yesterday.

Source: Liverpool Echo