The idea of Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone coaching Argentina's national team part-time has been floated by a high-ranking figure at the AFA, with Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino and Sevilla's Jorge Sampaoli also mentioned as potential candidates for the job.
Argentina are currently looking to appoint a replacement for Gerardo Martino, who stepped down after the team's penalty shootout defeat to Chile in this summer's Copa America Centenario in the United States.
The situation is complicated by ongoing institutional chaos in Argentine football, and allegations of misappropriation of AFA funds, with the national government and FIFA having stepped in to appoint a Comision Regularizadora (Normalising Commission) to sort out the situation.
Earlier this week, Belgrano club president Armando Perez said the Commission would be involved in appointing a new national coach very quickly, while also saying he planned to call Lionel Messi to get the Barcelona star to reconsider his shock international retirement.
Now Fernando Marin, a government appointment to the Commission who also runs the controversial Futbol para todos TV arrangement, has told La Nacion that in his view it should be possible to get former Argentina midfielder Simeone to take over as national coach, while still balancing that job with his duties at Atletico.
"[Simeone] could look after his obligations with his club, and in international dates, travel with our national team," Marin said. "If the Argentina internationals who play in Europe can do it, then Diego Simeone can also do it. Whoever is chosen to manage the Argentina national team could work part-time for the AFA, and take the team as far as the World Cup in Russia."
Others mentioned include Sevilla's Sampaoli and Spurs' Pochettino, who Marin has proposed could have an assistant who was working full-time during the year and would then step aside for the main boss to take over when games came around.
"We could choose to install any one of the three," he said. "Of course they could not leave their clubs, but they could have an assistant who would travel and watch players, and do the preparation during the year. And when the time comes for friendlies, qualifiers or tournaments, the main coach joins up."
Atletico Madrid captain Gabi said he was open to the idea of Simeone coaching Argentina.
"I see that coach is very involved in our team, with the same amount of energy he has had for the past five years," Gabi said. "This is a very personal decision. While he continues to work as he has done for Atletico, it is up to him."