Argentina have asked Everton manager Roberto Martinez to make defender Ramiro Funes Mori available for the Olympics this summer in Rio de Janeiro, national team coach Gerardo Martino said.
The 25-year-old Funes Mori is already the first-choice central defender for Martino's team headed to the Copa America Centenario in the United States in June.
"We're thinking of Ramiro Funes Mori for the Games," Martino told Argentina's Radio Continental. "We are hopeful that we can have him for both tournaments. We already spoke with Roberto Martinez and it is a possibility. We still have to see if Everton accept our request."
Because the Olympics are not an official FIFA senior tournament, clubs are not obligated to release their players to participate. The 2016-17 Premier League season will start on Aug. 13.
The Olympic football tournament is contested by under-23 teams with a maximum of three over-age players.
Martino said he was also considering Paulo Dybala of Juventus, Atletico Madrid pair Luciano Vietto and Matias Kranevitter, Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi and Real Sociedad goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli for Olympics play.
However, Martino said he would like to use Kranevitter for both competitions.
"He is in the same spot. We have had talks with [Diego] Simeone," Martino said.
Rulli, he added, "would go to the Olympics or Copa America, but not both."
Argentina were Olympic champions in 2004 and 2008, but did not qualify for the London 2012 Games, which were won by Mexico.
