Federico Fernandez has joked he will ask Lionel Messi to join Newcastle United after reports emerged the world's best footballer will leave Barcelona this summer.
It is claimed Messi has told new Los Cules boss Ronald Koeman he is 'more outside the club than he inside the club' after a tumultuous season for the Spanish giants.
Barcelona sacked two head coaches and ended the season without winning any major trophies and, aged 33, Messi is now considering his future having spent the entirety of his career at the Camp Nou.
Messi, who has won the Ballon D'Or on six occasions, has acknowledged it will be difficult for him to leave given the eye-watering financial figures in his current Barcelona deal.
Nonetheless, the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, PSG, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are clubs that have been bandied about as interested in the Argentina international.
Had the Magpies' Saudi-backed takeover gone through, Newcastle could well have been an outlandish name thrown into the mix.
Clearly, the club have neither the finances or the stature to attract the world's greatest player now but it hasn't stopped one Newcastle fan jokingly asking Magpies defender, Fernandez, to ask the question to his international team-mate.
'Holly NUFC' took to Twitter to ask Fernandez to ask Messi 'if he likes bridges', in reference to Newcastle's famous landmarks over the River Tyne.
Fernandez then responded to the photo that showed he is one of just 230 people Messi follows in Instagram, by saying 'I will.'
The 31-year-old has won 32 caps for Argentina and was alongside Messi in La Albiceleste's 2014 World Cup squad that reached the final in Brazil.
