Messi urged to follow Maradona and make sensational Napoli transfer

Kevin-Prince Boateng has urged his former teammate Lionel Messi to "honour" Diego Maradona's memory by joining Napoli.

Maradona died aged 60 last month and Messi paid tribute to his compatriot with an emotional gesture after scoring against Osasuna.

During his playing days, Maradona ended a brief spell with Barcelona by joining Napoli for a then-record fee of £6.9million in 1984.

The Argentine led the club to Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup glory during seven seasons in the southern Italian city, where he was treated like royalty.

Meanwhile Messi, 33, is out of contract with Barcelona at the end of the season, while speculation about his next move continues to escalate.

And Boateng - who spent six months alongside Messi while on loan at Barca last year - urged the six-time Ballon d'Or winner to complete a sensational switch to the newly-renamed Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

He told  ESPN  : "Messi's going to finish his contract at Barcelona, [but] how amazing would it be if he would just call Napoli and say 'I will come'?

"They don't give out the No.10 shirt anymore, [but] I would love to honour Maradona's No.10 and I would love to come and play one year or two years at Naples, without thinking about money or nothing, just heart."

Boateng added: "It would be like a movie. He'd have to go to practice by a f***ing helicopter because people would eat him alive. They'd be so happy.

"But just that story: 'In honour of Maradona, I will come and play for Naples', what kind of story would that be for the world, not only for football, for the world?

"It would be a message, it would be history everywhere. I just wish I would be in Messi's shoes. I want to be Messi. I would call the president of Naples and I would tell him."