Kevin-Prince Boateng has urged Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi to move to Napoli as tribute to Argentine great Diego Maradona.
The legendary Napoli star died at age of 60 after suffering heart failure last month.
Napoli renamed their stadium to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in honour of the 1986 World Cup winner, who guided the Serie A side to their only Scudetto triumphs in 1987 and 1990 after arriving from Barca in 1984.
However, Messi has been heavily linked with move to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain but Boateng wants his former team mate join the Serie A outfit as a show of honour to his countryman.
“I often hear of the comparison between Messi and Maradona and therefore I’ll make a proposal to Leo,” Boateng, who now plays for Serie B outfit Monza alongside Mario Balotelli, told ESPN.
“He should go to Napoli after his contract with Barcelona expires. It would be great if he himself called [president Aurelio] De Laurentiis and said: ‘I’m coming’.
“Even if they have retired the No 10 shirt, ‘I would like to honour Maradona’s No 10 and come and play for a year or two at Napoli’, without thinking about money, just the heart.
“Maybe then he manages to win a championship and then it would be the apotheosis, a movie story.
“If I were him, I would think about it. By now, he has won everything at club level, closing in a legendary way would be incredible.”