Mauricio Pochettino recently joked that he would like Lionel Messi to join him at Spurs before he retires. Well now, because of a recently publicised clause in the Argentinean’s contract, the possibility is not the distant pipe-dream that many thought it was.

Should he wish to do so, it seems that Messi will be allowed to leave Barcelona, the club he has served since the age of 13, on a free transfer next summer, and as a long-time admirer of the Spurs manager the north London Club could be one of his options.

Although Messi has a further 12 month option on his contract with Barcelona he has made no secret of the fact that, at the age of 32, he wants to seek a new challenge, and having stated on Thursday that he wouldn’t wish to drop into a minor league, such as those in the Middle or the Far East, so the only options that remain are Italy, France or possibly joining his countryman Pochettino in the Premier League and North London.