What next for Paulo Dybala?

Once touted as a generational talent for the obvious reasons, Paulo Dybala had plenty of hype around him when he first burst into the scenes. He however has not been able to live up to the buildup. Having said that, he is still a quality player, there is no denying that. It’s just that he has not been able to crack that next-level consistency and palpable potential. So why are we talking about Paulo Dybala at the moment? It is because he and Juventus have decided to part ways. Here we will try to dissect how his career shaped in with the Bianconeri side and what are the possibilities for him moving forward.

Juventus bought the Argentine Superstar from another Serie A side, Palermo. They paid a sum of €41m to rope him in the summer of 2015. He has represented Juventus on 283 occasions, starting 218 times across 7 seasons across various competitions. He has scored 113 goals and assisted 44 times. In those 7 seasons, he won 5 Serie A titles, 4 Italian Cups, and 3 Italian Super Cups. His 15/16 season (19 goals, 9 assists) and 17/18 season (22 goals, 3 assists) were probably his best in the Juventus shirt. In the 19/20 season, Serie A recognized him as an MVP, scoring 11 goals and assisting 7 times. He had beaten his then team-mate, Cristiano Ronaldo in the MVP race. This was debatable, but he had a decent season nonetheless.

Image source: AFP

Dybala is an absolute treat to watch for his Faithfuls and a nightmare for the opponents when he is in his full flight. He is naturally so gifted with silky touch and fluid movements. The only thing that is keeping him from being in the conversations of best in the world is his lack of consistency and seemingly the hunger that is required to get there. He is capable of playing in most attacking positions with relative ease but mostly plays centrally as a false nine or No.10. He has undoubtedly been an asset for Juventus for so long. But owing to his indifferent seasons for the last two years, Juventus decided not to offer him a new contract.

Dybala is currently 28, and at the end of the season, he won’t have a club. But for a player of his caliber, that should not be a problem for so long as he will surely gain attention from teams across Europe. La Joya is gaining interest from the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal, Atletico, Milan, Inter, and PSG. Given his love and loyalty for the Old Lady, it is very unlikely for him to join Serie A’s rivals. Many are considering PSG as favorites to acquire him. What will be more interesting to see than the team he plays for is which version of Dybala turns up for the team. The only one stopping him from achieving everything that he is capable of is himself. There is still so much magic left in him to offer to the football world. So, one can only hope that he delivers.