Lionel Messi and Mauricio Pochettino agree on Paulo Dybala as Chelsea eye £10m transfer bargain

Lionel Messi and Mauricio Pochettino have already given Paulo Dybala a glowing review ahead of potential move to Chelsea this summer. The 29-year-old forward has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge lately as the Blues look to further bolster their frontline options.

Dybala, who sees his contract at the Stadio Olimpico expire in 2025, featured 25 times for Roma in the Serie A last season, directly contributing towards 19 goals. The Argentina international's impressive performances helped Jose Mourinho's side reach the Europa League final and beat Juventus to a top-six spot.

According to Italian journalist Matteo De Santis, as quoted by RomaPress, Chelsea are considering a move for Dybala, who has been specifically requested by Pochettino. Despite his mere €12million (£10.3million) release clause, the report states that Roma aren't concerned by the Blues' interest and they're confident that they can keep him on board for next term.

While the west Londoners shouldn't need convincing that Dybala is among the top forwards in Europe, Messi and Pochettino have both previously heaped tremendous praise on their fellow countryman. In 2015, at the age of 21, the Roma star was handed his first call-up to the senior national team after bursting onto the scene at Juventus.

«Paulo is a great player and he has a bright future ahead of him,» Messi told Tuttosport amid Dybala's rise to prominence. «I have no doubt about it that people will talk about him a lot over the next few years.»

Then, a couple of years later once Dybala had established himself as one of Europe's top forwards, he claimed that he was struggling to play alongside Messi for Argentina. The duo share a number of striking similarities; preferred foot (left);