BARCELONA -- PSV Eindhoven's Hirving Lozano says there was contact with Barcelona during the summer over a potential transfer and that it would be a dream to move to the La Liga champions one day.
Lozano, 23, will be part of the PSV side which takes on Barca at Camp Nou when the Champions League returns on Tuesday.
The Mexico international impressed at the World Cup earlier this year, scoring the winner against Germany, which led to speculation that he was being watched by a number of Europe's biggest sides. His father revealed to ESPN at the time that there had been an approach from Barca and Lozano confirmed that on Monday.
"I did well at the World Club, which meant a lot of teams came to see me [play], which was nice," he said in a news conference, reiterating what he'd previously told ESPN Deportes. "My agent told me there was interest from Barca.
"It would be a dream to come to this club, but right now I am focused on PSV and enjoying my football."
Barca eventually signed Malcom from Bordeaux, ending any potential interest in Lozano for now, but the Champions League draw has brought him to Camp Nou anyway.
"It's a dream come true [to play at Camp Nou]," he added. "I never thought I would.
"Thanks to God I'm able to. It's an important game for me and I want to take advantage of it. I had a number of posters on my bedroom wall growing up, one of them was a Barcelona poster. They represent a lot across the world.
"It's the most important game of my career so far, a game against a great team, in a great stadium against really good players. I am going to enjoy it."
Dutch champions PSV will start the game as underdogs against a Barca side now being captained by Lionel Messi.
Despite leading the Catalans to a league and cup double last season, though, the forward has been overlooked for a string of individual awards in recent months.
PSV coach Mark van Bommel, who played alongside Messi during his one season as a Barca player in 2005-06, says he still counts Messi as the world's best and added, should they win, his players can fight it out for the Argentine's shirt on Tuesday.
"If tomorrow we get a good result I don't care if they fight for Messi's shirt," Van Bommel told a news conference.
"That is part of being a professional, to always be concentrating. I know they will ask him for the shirt, but they shouldn't do it at half-time."
He added that Barca were more than a one-man show.
"Barcelona are not just Messi," he said. "But for me, he is still the best in the world, even if sometimes he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or."