The former Anfield boss has angered his old club by continuing to make noises about signing the Argentina captain since taking over at Inter Milan this summer.
But the European champions have failed to back up their words with a bid.
And as Mascherano’s frustration with life at Anfield grows, there is a feeling inside the corridors of power at Liverpool that Benitez is playing a waiting game in a ploy to land Mascherano on the cheap.
A Liverpool insider said: “We know how Rafa works and, for all Mascherano’s talk about leaving, there has been no bid from any club for him.
“We think Rafa is biding his time because he thinks we will accept a lower price closer to the transfer window. He’s wrong about that.”
Inter have money to spend after selling Mario Balotelli to Manchester City for £24million. Any bid over £20m will be enough to land Mascherano, who has refused to sign a new contract with his current deal having less than two years to run.
Barcelona have also entered the race for the 26-year-old, with Pep Guardiola determined to land another defensive midfielder despite pressure to enter the fight for Werder Bremen playmaker Mesut Ozil.
Barca superstar Lionel Messi has been urging the Catalans to move for his Argentine team-mate, but the Spanish champions would be wasting their time if they lodged a proposed bid of £12m.
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