Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has made an astonishing proposal to bring Lionel Messi to the club.
Martinez, aged 30, and Messi, aged 35, were teammates for Argentina when they won the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the previous year.
Messi emerged as the joint top scorer in the tournament, leading his country to their third World Cup victory.
Martinez played a crucial role in Argentina’s success, making impressive saves in two penalty shoot-outs and earning the prestigious Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper.
Now Messi is weighing up his options as he prepares to make what could be the final move of his club career.
He is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season after two years, having been booed by his own fans last month.
The Barcelona legend has been linked with a move back to the Catalan giants, although it is unclear whether they will be able to afford his wages.
Messi has also reportedly received a lucrative £350million-a-year offer from Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal.
But Martinez has come out and offered to reduce his wages in order to bring his fellow countryman to the Midlands.
He told ESPN: “If they are whistling Messi, I would bring him here… at Villa.
“Hey, man, we’ll drink mate, we eat asados [roasted meat] every week. I will cut my salary, we’ll do our best.”
Villa are in line for a Europa Conference League place next season as they sit seventh in the Premier League table.
But a move for Messi remains a somewhat fanciful dream as the Argentine approaches the final stages of his career.
After PSG handed him a two-week suspension for missing training due to a trip to Saudi Arabia, the Ligue 1 champions’ fans booed him upon his return to the side.
And the fractured relationship between Messi and the club has brought an end to any discussions about him extending his stay in the French capital.