According to reports in Spanish media outlet Don Balon, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi wants the club to sign Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Dele Alli.
With Andres Iniesta coming towards the end of his career with the La Liga giants and with Ivan Rakitic turning 30 in March, the Catalan outfit may well be looking for a new number 10 either in January or next summer and Don Balon says that Messi believes that Alli should be a target.
The 21-year-old will likely be on the radar of a number of the top clubs across Europe after scoring 39 goals in 109 appearances in all competitions for Spurs, including a remarkable 22 in 50 outings last term.
If the England international did end up moving to the Camp Nou, Mauricio Pochettino would know that he would need to find a top class replacement, and the answer could be close to home in the form of Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who is currently on loan at Crystal Palace.
Here are three reasons Tottenham should move for the Blues man if Alli leaves…
Qualities
While he has only made 32 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea over the last three seasons, the 21-year-old has shown just how good he is after playing more regularly during a loan spell with Crystal Palace this term.
Despite the Eagles' struggles, Loftus-Cheek has shown his defensive qualities in a deeper midfield role by making 12 clearances and seven interceptions in seven top flight appearances, while he has shown the impact he can make in the final third by picking up one assist from nine created chances.
The 6ft 3in midfielder played in the number 10 role for England against Germany on Friday however, and he impressed with his vision and skill on the ball – even pulling off a double nutmeg against the world champions – and it seems to be a position that he would be comfortable featuring in moving forward.
Potential
At 21 years of age – the same as Dele Alli – Loftus-Cheek already looks as though he has a hugely bright future ahead of him if his England showing against Germany on Friday night is anything to go by.
The midfielder has the ability on the ball to make an impact and get himself out of tight situations, and if he can improve his goal record playing in the number 10 role regularly then he could be the ideal Alli replacement for Tottenham, with Pochettino never afraid to give young players an opportunity if they are good enough.
Quotes from his dad
In an interview with the Daily Mail this week, Ruben Loftus-Cheek's dad Trevor said that if his son 'was playing for Mauricio Pochettino then he would have 70, 80 or 90 first-team appearances by now', having struggled to game time with Chelsea.
It was certainly an interesting set of quotes and may suggest that the 21-year-oold would be keen to join Tottenham if the opportunity arose.
While it would be uncertain whether the Blues would be willing to let him join one of their Premier League title rivals, the comments are certainly encouraging for Spurs if they do need an Alli replacement soon.
Do you agree, Spurs fans? Let us know below.