Reports: Juventus, Javier Mascherano agree to personal terms

Welcome to silly season, boys and girls. One day we can be talking about Álvaro Morata and the next day we will be discussing something completely different. It's funny, but sometimes not always the kid of ha-ha funny that you would expect to make you laugh once, twice or maybe even three times within a minute or two.

I don't say this is jest, though: According to reports out of Italy and Spain, Juventus and Barcelona defender/midfielder Javier Mascherano have agreed to personal terms. Obviously, personal terms are not the be-all, end-all in deals, but it's apparently something. And so much so something that it's spreading like wild fire throughout all of Italy's big-time media outlets and they just can't stop writing about it right now. Like, for instance...

Their most recent target is Javier Mascherano, who can play as both a defender and midfielder. The Argentine is a concrete target, and he appears interested in leaving Barcelona for a few reasons. From the tax situation in Spain to the fact some players have been sued- he's looking for a new experience. Juventus contacted the player's entourage and have received Mascherano's approval for a deal, but there have not been any contacts with Barcelona yet.

(Source: Gianluca Di Marzio)

This can be taken a few different ways.

1. We can take it as total crap during a time in which there's absolute no Juventus football to talk about other than constant chatter regarding who's staying, who's going and who's filling those spots. OR...
2. Continue the assumption that between a player and a club agreeing to personal terms and two clubs agreeing to terms of a transfer, the former means absolutely nothing compared to the latter.
3. Go absolute bonkers because Juventus might be getting a pretty good player. (Emphasis on 'might' because, well, you know the rest.)

This is not the first time that Juventus and Mascherano have been linked to one another. There's a history of this rumor being out there and for everybody to read about. Maybe not to this extent where the fact that even agreeing to personal terms is even being thrown out there. (And, like I said, it's not like agreeing to personal terms and nothing else is really is to be considered some huge thing.) But, as the Italian media is treating it, this is a huge step in what could be the acquisition of a player who could help Juventus improve as a team.

Yes, there's a lot of different conditions as to what this deal may or may not do.

How does he fit into the setup of Juventus? What's the pay structure going to be like? Is he actually going to have the same kind of role as Juventus? Is there even an intent to come to Juve or is this used for other matters like getting more money out of Barca before his current deal expires in two years?

All of this is legitimate, and all of this is something we might want to think about before we start to arrange the letters on our new Mascherano No. 14 Juve jerseys. It just seems a little hinky no matter who's reporting it, that's all.