Italian football club AS Roma made contact with FC Barcelona in an attempt to acquire Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano to play in Italy.

AS Roma would have to cough up £10.46 million ($16.63 million) to lure Barcelona into letting the storied midfielder go, according to a report by Italian sports outfit Gazzetta Dello Sport translated to English by sports site Forzo Italian Football. They also would have to offer at least £2.44 million ($3.84 million) in annual salaries for Mascherano.

In the same report, it was claimed that AS Roma is ready to spend a significant amount to sign the Argentine footballer.

Mascherano is regarded in the football world as a terrific defensive midfielder with great positional sense. In an interview, he was picked by England manager Roy Hodgson as the world's best player who deserves to win the Ballon d'Or - snubbing big names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Masche's teammate Lionel Messi.

Notably, Mascherano shone in this position during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where Argentina reached the final but failed to topple over defensive stalwart Germany.

An addition to the defensive system

Mascherano's versatility was what impressed Giallorossi, giving them the opportunity to put Mascheramo on the pitch as a center-back or defensive midfielder, the Gazzetta noted.

If the transfer is completed, it could usher Alessio Romagnoli out of AS Roma, as he has been rumored to favor a transfer to AC Milan. Arsenal is also interested, Express reported.

A winning culture in Blaugrana

El Jefe had just extended his contract with Barça last year, as reported by Goal. It was touted as an integral plan of FCB manager Luis Enrique's plans to bring more glory to the storied Spanish club.

However, Gazzetta said that the possibility of a transfer hasn't been ruled out by the Mascherano camp, especially with AS Roma willing to spend. A change of scenery was also something Mascherano was interested in, said the report.

Mascherano joined the Spanish giants in 2010 in a transfer from FC Liverpool. In those five seasons at Camp Nou, Mascherano and the club have won three La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies.

It has to be noted that a trade will not be possible until the transfer embargo on Barcelona is lifted in January 2016. Luis Enrique said that the Catalans will hold onto Mascherano and all the rest of the starting XI until the embargo ends.