Lionel Messi is set to reunite with former Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano with Inter Miami, this time as a player and coach, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.

Several reports from Argentina said that Mascherano has already agreed to take over as Inter Miami coach as a replacement for Gerardo “Tata” Martino – who stepped down citing personal reasons. Mascherano emerged as Inter Miami’s frontrunner earlier this week, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been disclosed by the team.

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas said the team had three finalists in mind for the job, made a choice on the replacement on Wednesday – but would not confirm that the Mascherano deal is done, or that he was even the final choice.

“We are very close to the end of the process,” Mas said. “We will announce a new coach for Inter Miami in the coming days.”

Messi and Mascherano were teammates both for Argentina and with Barcelona; for the Spanish club, Mascherano also played alongside current Inter Miami standouts Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez. Mascherano was at one point the all-time leader of the Argentina national team in international appearances; Messi has since broken that record.

Mas said he spoke to Messi last week about the coaching search. It is not known whether Messi played an active role in the recruitment of Mascherano, who is currently Argentina’s U-20 national team coach.

“This is an extremely attractive position for a coach,” Mas said.

Martino guided Inter Miami to the best regular season record in Major League Soccer history this season. He was hired in July 2023, right around that time Messi made his debut for the club and insisted on Friday that he must leave for personal reasons.

Inter Miami — who won the Leagues Cup in 2023 and MLS Supporters Shield this season under Martino — was eliminated in the first round of this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs. The team’s 2025 season starts with training camp in January.

Martino also had deep ties to Messi before joining Inter Miami; he coached the world’s most decorated men’s player and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner with Barcelona and the Argentina national team before reuniting with him in South Florida. Martino said on Friday that he decided just before the start of the playoffs that he would not be back with Inter Miami next season.

“Needless to say, we’ve had a great time and I’m grateful for the opportunity, on behalf of my entire coaching staff, to have been able to work at this club,” Martino said Friday at his farewell press conference. “The truth is, it’s been very compelling because being part of the change over this year and a half.”

Inter Miami was 26-9-12 in MLS regular season games during the Martino era.

The 40-year-old Mascherano also played five seasons in the Premier League, most of them with Liverpool. He played the World Cup four times for Argentina — in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.

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