Mauricio Pochettino revealed that he almost signed Lionel Messi on loan at RCD Espanyol.
Around 2009-2012, Messi was already a first-team regular at Barcelona and had won the Balon d’Or.
So, there was never a realistic chance but Pochettino did try earlier on in his career. Now, the PSG boss has a real chance of signing Messi from Barcelona on a free transfer.
When asked about the Argentine being a target, Pochettino replied, “No comment. When I was at Espanyol or Southampton, my dream was to have the best players at the club and Messi came close to being loaned out to Espanyol.
“The deal was well advanced but he put in a great display at the pre-season Trofeo Gamper and that was the end of that. We’ve met over the years in different places like London or in Italy. We both share the love for Newell’s Old Boys as we both came through their academy and have that common bond.“
Messi’s contract is running out at Camp Nou. On that Pochettino added, “I’m aware of all that is going on. I’ve been watching everyone from West Ham to Valladolid and these days you need to keep your eyes on every team. I really don’t want to talk about Messi as everything then gets blown out of proportion.”
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