There have already been a host of high-profile transfers in Serie A, with big names like Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, and Angel Di Maria coming into the league this summer window.
However, the future of one Paulo Dybala is yet to be resolved. The Argentine forward – who is available for a free transfer after failing to come to an agreement with Juventus – has been linked with many of the top clubs in Italy, and more recently, Manchester United.
But with Erik ten Hag’s preference for a 4-3-3 formation and Dybala’s incompatibility in that formation, it does not seem like a realistic fit. Therefore, it appears that Dybala’s most likely landing spot is still somewhere in Italy. But on which club will he land?
Read on below as SBOTOP shares our picks for the three most realistic Paulo Dybala destinations.
Inter Milan
Inter Milan have been the club most strongly linked with Dybala this summer. However, the Nerazzurri’s interest in the Argentine has seemingly cooled amid their reacquisition of Romelu Lukaku. And Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta’s recent comments about the club already completing their attack puts more doubt on a potential Dybala deal.
The big downside of Dybala moving to Inter is that he would not be a regular starter with Lukaku back to partner Lautaro Martinez. That is, unless Simone Inzaghi were to tweak his system and play with a 3-4-1-2, with Dybala playing in behind the two strikers.
But even if Dybala doesn’t have a regular starting spot, a move to Inter still makes a lot of sense for him. He excels more as a No. 10 or as part of a front two, which Inter play. And the Nerazzurri also still need a reliable third striker behind Lukaku and Lautaro, especially with Edin Dzeko’s age and Alexis Sanchez’s potential departure.
Despite Inter’s declining interest, Dybala reportedly still prefers a move to the Nerazzurri, so there remains a decent chance that the two sides can work out a deal.
AC Milan
If the Inter move doesn’t work out, then the red side of Milan could potentially be an option for Dybala.
The reigning Serie A champions have signed Divock Origi from Liverpool to help strengthen their ageing forward line, but they need a bit more reinforcements in attack if they are to successfully defend their title.
While Rafael Leao had a breakout season with 11 goals and 8 assists, it would be foolish to rely on Origi and Olivier Giroud to consistently score goals, much less the now 40-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Stefano Pioli plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, which would be perfectly suited to Dybala’s skill set as a classic trequartista. He would be a significant upgrade over Brahim Diaz, who had only 3 goals and 3 assists in 31 appearances while primarily playing in that No. 10 position for most of last season, and Rade Krunic.
Milan have not been reported to be a serious player for Dybala, but with the promise of Champions League football as well as a chance to be the true focal point of a title contender, Dybala would be foolish not to at least consider a move to red half of Milan.
At the same time, the Rossoneri would be foolish not to consider signing the Argentine, who should help boost the Rossoneri’s Serie A 2022 odds of retaining their Scudetto.
AS Roma
Roma are another club that have been thrown into the Dybala sweepstakes, with Jose Mourinho reportedly keen to bring the Argentine to the capital.
Roma are quite well-stocked with attacking midfield options at the moment, with captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, Nicolo Zaniolo, Eldor Shomurodov, Stephan El Shaarawy as well as youngster Felix Afena-Gyan. But with Henrikh Mkhitaryan moving to Inter and Juventus reportedly set to launch a bid for Zaniolo, there could be a big vacancy at that position in the near future.
Mourinho settled on a 3-4-2-1 formation for most of his first season at Roma, so Dybala could fit in nicely as one of the two attacking midfielders behind Tammy Abraham and produce a good amount of Serie A 2022 highlights.
Moreover, Roma have more financial muscle to meet Dybala’s salary demands than Napoli, another club who have also been linked with Dybala but may not have the ability to make a deal work.
As things stand, Roma are likely to be a step below the Milan clubs in Dybala’s hierarchy of preferred destinations. But as far as backup options go, the Giallorossi are perhaps as good as it’s going to get for Dybala.
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