Perpetual Serie A champions Juventus have received three separate offers for their star striker Paulo Dybala. According to Turin-based news outlet Tuttosport, Bayern Munich, PSG and Manchester City have each lodged bids for the 25-year-old Argentine, all believed to be in the region of £100 million.
The Bianconeri will be looking to spark a bidding war between the three interested European giants.
Having signed Dybala for £25 million from Palermo in 2015, Juve are believed to want to secure at least a £90 million profit on the forward, who has a more than decent 70 league goals and 35 league assists in 176 games in Serie A.
That would mean a transfer fee of around £115 million should be enough to convince the Old Lady to part ways with their prolific talent, but the fact that multiple clubs are circling means they may be able to generate an even bigger fee.
It’s something of a surprise to see that PSG have made a bid, considering they’re already facing potential sanctions for breach of FFP rules, having splurged on Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the last year or so.
Dybala would surely only consider a move to Paris were one of the big front three (Edison Cavani, Neymar and Mbappe) to depart – at 25 and entering his prime years, he won’t want to be a backup anywhere. Of those three, it seems Cavani is most likely to make way – now 31, the Uruguayan won’t have many more years at the peak of his powers. Dybala would fill his shoes, without question.
At Bayern, Dybala could be seen as a replacement for the outgoing Arjen Robben, with both players sharing similar styles: both are pacey, powerful and have a penchant for cutting in from the right to shoot with their left foot. It would also make sense with Bayern’s proposed plan to begin replacing their ageing squad with new blood who can keep the club challenging for titles, without any period of transition. A proven goalscorer entering his peak is exactly what they need.
At Man City, the abundance of attacking talent perhaps surpasses even that of PSG, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Aguero and Riyad Mahrez jostling for three starting spots. If the personnel remained the same, it’s difficult to see where Dybala would fit in.
However, there are two factors that may sway things in City’s favour: firstly, the obvious draw of working under Pep Guardiola, and secondly, the fact that Dybala’s compatriot Aguero may not remain in Manchester that much longer.
The diminutive Argentine has made no secret of his desire to return to his home club, Independiente, at some point, and though his City contract was recently extended to 2021, that could be as much about City securing a transfer fee for him as about keeping him – he will be 32 by his contract end after all.
Could City be lining up fellow Argentine Dybala as the long-term heir to the Aguero throne?
It would appear that all three bidders have good reason to see Dybala as a solution to their problems. It will be fascinating to see where he ends up.
