Paulo Dybala‘s contract at Juventus will be up in June and the forward is tipped to move on after seven years, five Serie A titles, and 113 from 287 total appearances for the club.
The Argentine attacking midfielder is being courted by clubs in Spain and England as well as Italy where he has spent most of his career. Juventus, in preparation for his exit, have reportedly identified two prospects to replace him on the short term and on the long term.
Shakhtar Donetsk winger David Neres who has been unable to play football for a few months due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine is being targeted by the club for a transfer before the summer.
Neres, 25, is the long term replacement being targeted by the club who hope that he can replicate his Ajax Amsterdam form at the Allianz Stadium which he was on his way to replicating at Shakhtar Donetsk before the war broke up Ukraine and its football.
Dybala’s fellow Argentine, Angel Di Maria, is the short term replacement that Juventus are considering for Dybala. Di Maria, 34, is hoping to end his career in Argentina and is also out of a contract at his current club Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Juventus could provide him with one last big payday and a shot at more European glory before he heads home to Argentina.
Gianluca Di Marzio claims that the Bianconeri are currently in negotiations with both the players’ representatives regarding a summer move. Di Maria’s wage demands, however, may be a bit too much for the Turin club seeing that he is coming from the likes of PSG, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Dybala is also being linked to Inter Milan and AS Roma, whose starlet Nicolo Zaniolo is also being courted by Juventus as Dybala’s replacement.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League have also expressed interest in Dybala and it is believed that Antonio Conte is willing to push for the move to happen with everything at his disposal.
In the midst of all these, two Juventus icons, Fabio Capello and Alessandro Del Piero have given Dybala some advice on his future.
Both icons want Dybala to remain at the club but while Capello insists that Dybala fights for his place, Del Piero chooses to advise that he avoid the Premier League if he decides to leave Turin in the summer.
Del Piero used Lionel Messi’s struggles at PSG as an example for Dybala to note.
The Premier League and the French Ligue 1 are two of the most physical leagues in the top flight of European football. Del Piero has advised Dybala to choose the Spanish LaLiga instead, where his technical qualities will shine through instead.
Del Piero was speaking with Sky Italia when he made those comments: “A league like the Spanish one would help him in all respects,” he said.
“The more physical championships like in England and France, I think of Messi when he went to a league which was difficult from a physical point of view. In Spain and Italy, Dybala would do very well.”
Capello insists, however, that Dybala stay and fight for a right to wear the Juventus shirt. “He wants some revenge (against Juventus), and a lot of it,” the ex-Bianconeri coach told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“But if I was still a player I would stay at Juventus, even if it meant earning much less, just to get that satisfaction.”
