Mauricio Pochettino is hoping to strike a deal for wantaway Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi as he prepares to take over at Paris Saint-Germain, according to a report.
Following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, Pochettino - who has been out of management for over a year - is understood to be the frontrunner for the job in the French capital.
With Messi running down the final few months of his Barcelona deal, PSG have been heavily linked with a sensational swoop for the Argentine, but Messi's father has denied reports claiming that talks have already been held with the Ligue 1 champions.
Nevertheless, Le Parisien reports that Pochettino is hopeful of persuading his compatriot to make the move to PSG, although the French giants will first have to fend off interest from Manchester City.
The report claims that Pochettino is hopeful of using Messi's links at PSG to complete a deal, with the Argentine's former teammate Neymar keen to reunite with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, and Messi's international teammates Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi and Leandro Paredes all ply their trade in Paris.
Messi, now 33, has remained a key figure for Barcelona this term despite his transfer request in the summer, with the attacker boasting 10 goals and five assists in all competitions.
The South American recently surpassed Pele's club record by scoring his 644th goal for La Blaugrana in their 3-0 win over Real Valladolid.
Ben Knapton
