Why Dybala leaving is bad news for Chelsea and Man Utd
Carlo Garganese
- 22 Mar 2022 07:00 CDT
- 4 min read
Juventus delivered a bombshell on Monday with the announcement that club symbol Paulo Dybala will be leaving at the end of the season.
Dybala has been a fan favourite during seven seasons in Turin, scoring 113 goals and winning five Scudetti.
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But Juventus have opted against renewing his contract which expires at the end of the season.
“The most important change is that Juventus have not renewed Paulo Dybala’s contract,” Juventus CEO Maurizio Arrivabene confirmed.
“With the purchases made in January, with the arrival of Dusan Vlahovic, Paulo’s position was no longer at the centre of the project. That’s why this kind of decision was preferred.
“The parameters were different, I had already spoken about it, no one has ever questioned Paulo’s ability. There were considerations to be made about appearances, length and financial considerations.
“We made our choices in January, we got here. It would have been easy for Juventus to make a low bid, but it would have been disrespectful towards Paulo. The decision is made. Today’s meeting was friendly, clear and respectful.”
So Dybala will now move on, with Atletico Madrid and Inter considered the early favourites to sign him – although there is strong interest from the likes of Tottenham and reportedly Arsenal and Man City also.
But Dybala leaving Juventus could spell bad news for two other Premier League clubs; Chelsea and Manchester United.
At the end of 2021, Dybala and Juventus had agreed on a new four-year contract worth €8 million per year plus €2m in bonuses.
The Bianconeri will now save a huge amount from their salary bill and these savings will be put towards funding new summer signings.
Juventus target Rudiger and Pogba
Two of their main targets for the summer transfer window are Antonio Rudiger and Paul Pogba. Both players, like Dybala, also see their contracts expire at the end of June.
Juventus are understood to be favourites to sign Rudiger if he opts to leave Chelsea. The Germany international, who has established himself as one of Europe’s best defenders under Thomas Tuchel, wants to wait and see who Chelsea’s new owners are first but if he decides to leave then Juve are currently first choice to get him.
Juventus will sign a central defender this summer as Giorgio Chiellini, 37, and Leonardo Bonucci, 34, have been plagued by injury problems this season as they get older. Fourth-choice centre back Daniele Rugani is also not up to the level required and cost Juventus in the Champions League last week as they exited to Villarreal in the last-16.
The Bianconeri will also sign a top central midfielder this summer. Pogba, who starred at Juve from 2012 to 2016 before returning to Man Utd in a €100m-plus deal, is high up the list of possible signings for this position.
Pogba looks increasingly unlikely to stay at Man Utd given their struggles on the pitch but Juventus would not have been able to afford the Frenchman’s salary – or Rudiger’s - if Dybala had signed a new deal. Dybala’s exit will now make it possible for Juve to sign at least one of them.
Chelsea’s Jorginho, who has only one year left on his contract at Chelsea, is another option in central midfield.
