ASTON VILLA keeper Emi Martinez has made a remarkable offer to bring Lionel Messi to the club.
Martinez, 30, and Messi, 35, won the World Cup together with Argentina in Qatar at the end of last year.
Emi Martinez has made a startling offer to bring Lionel Messi to Aston Villa
Messi and Martinez won the World Cup together in Qatar
Messi produced one of the great tournament displays to lead his country to the trophy for a third time.
And Martinez played a key role in the triumph as he was the hero in two penalty shoot-outs and received the Golden Glove for best keeper.
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 with the French club.
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.
