Former Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has hit out at the club regarding their handling of both his own exit and that of Fernando Torres.

Torres’ exit added to the departures of some of the spine of former boss Rafael Benitez’s title-challenging side that finished second in 2009, with him following Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa out of the door.

Liverpool made profits or broke-even on all of those players, with Torres’ mammoth £50million move to Chelsea on transfer deadline day now a British transfer record and doubling the £24million they paid for him in 2007.

Mascherano feels the departures of such key players were the fault of the club and media, not the players themselves, and that Liverpool did not make enough effort to keep them.

Torres’ comments following his move have been met with derision by some, with the 26-year-old appearing to state that he was better off at Chelsea due to Liverpool not being able to match his ambition.