Mauricio Pochettino ‘will re-unite Lionel Messi with Neymar at PSG’ as French giants prepare to announce former Tottenham boss as Thomas Tuchel’s replacement
Mauricio Pochettino will be the manager to finally reunite Lionel Messi and Neymar on the football pitch, according to reports in France.
Pochettino is poised to make his return to management after over 12 months out following his sacking from Tottenham, replacing the recently axed Thomas Tuchel at the Parc Des Princes.
And now it will be Pochettino who will make the bold move to take Messi from Barcelona and pair him up front to rekindle a strike partnership with his close friend Neymar, as report Le Parisien.
Lionel Messi is tipped to finally reunite with Neymar and make a move to PSG in the summer
Mauricio Pochettino is set to be unveiled and is said to be ready to make a Messi deal happen
Messi is able to leave Barca for free at the end of the season, and is widely expected to call time on his career at the Nou Camp following a fractious summer which saw a transfer request flatly denied.
Barca had been notified by an official burofax from Messi personally that he wished to exercise a clause in his contract to depart for free, though the Spanish giants successfully argued this had been requested following an elapsed deadline.
Now, after remaining with Barca under new boss Koeman, Messi is understood to be weighing up his options for the immediate future.
Messi is expected to walk away at the end of the season following his failed exit in the summer
The star stayed and plays under Ronald Koeman, though has not looked like a content man
And Pochettino is tipped as the man to secure a deal for the Argentine star, to make him a huge signing of intent to kick-start a reign in charge at PSG and put down serious Champions League ambitions.
It is reported that PSG are hopeful of using Messi’s already existing friendships within the club to tie up a deal, and deter the living football legend instead moving to Manchester City for a reunion with Pep Guardiola.
Messi and Neymar have remained close friends ever since the latter’s departure from Barca, with Messi having on previous occasions tried to use his influence to bring his former team-mate back to the club.
Messi is also close friends with Angel Di Maria who is well acquainted with from international duty.
Looking ahead to the future, a move to sign Messi would ease pressure on PSG regarding the potential loss of France sensation Kylian Mbappe later down the line, with the 22-year-old said to have his heart set on joining Real Madrid next summer.
Pochettino is also expected to secure an agreement for Dele Alli to switch to the French capital
A deal for Messi would potentially be one of a number of big moves overseen by Pochettino, who is also now heavily tipped to secure an agreement to bring his former star midfielder Dele Alli from Spurs to the French capital in an initial loan deal.
The main obstacle for PSG in signing Messi however will arrive in the form of Barca’s upcoming president elections, to be held early next year and identify the successor to Josep Maria Bartomeu.
The January 24 elections will see several candidates face off, and so far all of these individuals have said that the 33-year-old talisman is in their plans.
