Barcelona chief Guillermo Amor insists Javier Mascherano is a required player this season.
The Argentine is keen to move to China next month.
Amor said: "The position of the club is that we count on Javier. Mascherano is a Barcelona player. He has a great professional career and brings a lot to Barcelona. We want to continue to be able to count on him. There's no doubt he's a Barcelona player."
In the same interview he also spoke about Gerard Deulofeu, saying: "I imagine that he accepts it (being benched) like a professional and that he's ready for when the opportunity arrives. I see him with enthusiasm and hope to get minutes in the coming games."
Source: tribalfootball.com