Recent reports from Daily Express suggest that 27-year-old Juventus playmaker Paulo Dybala could be looking for a way out of Turin in January and has been offered to Manchester City.
The fact that he has started just six games across all competitions under new coach Andrea Pirlo seems to be the driving force behind the Argentine’s decision to push for a move away from the Allianz stadium. The troubles, however, started with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 as it saw Allegri shift from his usual 3-5-2 to a contemporary 4-3-3 formation. The sudden switch in landscape forced Dybala to change his style of play, all to facilitate the Portuguese striker’s movement in front of the goal. Getting scrapped off set-piece duties, taking fewer shots on target, and team instructions hampering his natural movement – all contributed to the change of his reputation from that of a ‘star-boy’ to ‘bench-warmer’.
Earlier this year, in an interview to CNN, Dybala revealed, “It was more or less last year at this point when Juventus didn’t want to count on me, didn’t want me to continue playing here.”
Undoubtedly, the Old Lady will be looking for an opportunity in the upcoming transfer window to cash in on the hype surrounding the highly-talented forward.
What Will ‘La Joya’ Add To Pep Guardiola’s Team?
Paulo Dybala’s brilliant goal-scoring record before the 2018/19 season speaks for itself.
The Argentine striker scored 30 goals and further bagged 17 assists over the course of his first two seasons in Turin, followed by a stunning 2017/18 breakthrough season where he finished with 22 league goals and 5 assists to his name. Elite performances gave birth to gigantic expectations, as his admirers had already started considering him as the perfect candidate to fill in Lionel Messi’s boots for Argentina in the future.
Unfortunately, things haven’t worked out in his favour ever since.
His move to the Etihad will mean that he instantly competes with Sergio Aguero (if fit) for the striker position. While fulfilling the role of primary striker might not be his first preference, he’ll rejoice dropping deep – as a secondary striker – to create space for Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez to cut inside from the flanks.
Dybala established himself as a complete striker playing for the Italian giants. He can find spaces between opposition defence and midfield, get in them, play progressive passes, and finish chances excellently when required. His techniques and abilities, being unrivalled, have earned him praise from several world-class managers over the past few years.
Should Man City Launch A Move For Him This Winter?
Pep Guardiola was compelled to head into a few games with no natural striker to lead the line, as both Aguero and Jesus were sidelined. As a consequence, they found it very cumbersome to break down teams like Leeds, West Ham, and Leicester. With the former still out due to an ongoing knee issue and the latter looking particularly inefficient at times, Pep should be looking forward to bring in a new striker – a long term replacement to the 32-year-old Sergio Aguero.
Having won four Serie A and three Coppa Italia titles for Juventus, Dybala brings in a lot of experience and can add quality to any top European club.
