Let’s talk about Juventus. The Vecchia Signora started the defence of the Italian Serie A title in an uncharacteristic manner, losing against Udinese and AS Roma in the first two fixtures of the season. Not a desirable start for Allegri’s pupils, who weren’t showing any signs of the quality exhibited in the previous season. Sure, letting Vidal, Tevez and the icon Pirlo go was a risky move, which the signings of some talented players such as Zaza, Khedira, Hernanes and Dybala tried to compensate for. But the wins didn’t come.
The manager wasn’t happy – and neither were the supporters. Something had to be changed, to compensate for the lack of irreverence in the Juve’s offensive: Mandzukic is a top player, and Morata really has a great future in front of him, but the two together were just not keeping up to the very high standards expected of the Itailians. And Zaza… Let’s just say the competition was too fierce for the striker. Someone needed to shine, and quickly.
And then the 22-year-old boy became a man. Many had questioned the high amount invested in the former Palermo attacker Paulo Dybala (around €32Million), but when the striker started scoring (eventually becoming the top scorer for the Juventus side, with 12 goals in 20 matches), the supporters quickly forgave Allegri for the bad results. Dybala quickly adapted to the role of Secondary Striker in the Juve’s 3-5-2 flat, working along Mandzukic in the Vecchia Signora’s attack. And the results were quick to come: Juventus have recorded 12 wins in their last 12 matches in all competitions with Dybala scoring 9 goals. They are currently in Second place in the Italian Serie A, and it now seems like the club’s stuttering start is becoming nothing more than a distant memory.
It’s no wonder that Barcelona are after this world class wonderkid. News reports indicate that Luís Enrique’s team offered €80Million for Dybala, an offer which was said to have been quickly declined. Nevertheless, the striker apparently said that his biggest desire is to play alongside Lionel Messi, an Argentinian such as Dybala.
Any little boy’s dream: the chance of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the World, a chance that only a crazy man would say no to. But the last word belongs to Juventus, and the player’s current form is blocking his exit. It will be interesting to see how long Juventus will be able to keep hold of Dybala, of whom many are suggesting could be the heir to Lionel Messi’s throne of not only Argentina’s, but also the World’s best player.
About the author – Luis Costa
Luis has a great passion for football and has been playing Soccer Manager for 5 years. He played semi-professional football for 13 years and is currently a regional referee in Madeira’s football association.
