Rudi Garcia has joked that he still has 18cm studs in his boots with Barcelona coach Ronaldo Koeman making little secret of his admiration for Olympique Lyonnais captain Memphis Depay.
Memphis has been in exemplary form for Lyon, with his five goals and three assists in 10 games this season coming in at a rate of one every 85 minutes ahead of Sunday's visit of FC Lorient.
The Dutchman played under Koeman for their national team, and his contract at the Groupama Stadium runs out in the summer, but Garcia is understandably keen to hold onto his talisman.
Watch: Memphis hit a hat-trick as Lyon thrashed Dijon in Round 2
"Remind me to trip Ronald Koeman up" Garcia said with a barely contained smile. "Now's not the time but I still have my 18cm studs in my boots and I can always put them on!
"It's taken time after his lengthy injury [Memphis missed seven moths with a ruptured cruciate ligament] but were always hopeful he would play as well as he has been. He's in good form, an excellent player, and fulfilling his role as captain."
Memphis has tallied 59 goals and 46 assists in all competitions since swapping Manchester United for Lyon in 2017.
