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Opinion: Juventus must build around Vlahovic and Chiesa, not Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala is among the highest-profile name whose contract is expiring in the summer of 2022. For a long time, it was being reported that the player is set for an imminent contract extension. But the entire ordeal has been very complicated for both parties involved. The contract renewal has been the talk of Europe due to the confusion and delay surrounding it.
A deal that felt like a slam dunk just a few months ago as the ever-reliable Romeo Agresti reported that “the agreement between Juve and Dybala has been finished in TOTAL since October. There is a lack of bureaucratic aspects concerning the Argentine’s agent. And that they have nothing to do with the negotiation. The renewal is done at 101%”
Ma bastaaa! L’accordo tra la Juve e Dybala è TOTALE da ottobre. Mancano degli aspetti burocratici che riguardano l’agente dell’argentino. E che con la negoziazione non c’entrano niente. Il rinnovo si fa al 101%.
— Romeo Agresti (@romeoagresti) December 19, 2021
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“101% done deal,” says the most reliable Juventus journalists in the world. So why does it not feel this way? And why are there so many Juventini, who are fans of the player, still anxious? Rumors of his exit have been going on for a couple of months now and with Juventus management meeting yesterday to discuss his, and others, future, you can bet the biggest topic of discussion would have been, is it worth keeping a player who in the last couple of years has had more injuries then you can count on one hand? Here is a list we compiled of what he’s dealt with since the 2019/2020 season.
19/20 Thigh problems, 10 days, 2 games missed
20/21 Thigh problems, 47 days, 2 games missed
20/21 Muscle fatigue, 3 days, 1 game missed
20/21 Medical collateral ligament injury, 80 days, 18 games missed
21/22 Muscular problems, 27 days, 5 games missed
21/22 Muscle fatigue, 9 days, 1 game missed
21/22 Muscular problems, 23 days, 3 games missed
21/22* Thigh problems, unknown
*=current injury, unknown days, or games missed
So with Juventus getting rid of one player on loan who’s been prone to injuries and is also on extremely high wages in Aaron Ramsey, the questions must be asked, should the club do the same with Paulo Dybala? Letting a player like him walk for free was unthinkable just a few seasons ago but with all of his recent injuries and with the arrival of the extremly young generational talents in Dusan Vlahovic and the dynamic Federico Chiesa, who are still only 22 and 24 years old, I think it’s best to build around them. The club can also rely on their youth players and say goodbye to others like Alvaro Morata, who will certainly go back to Atletico Madrid.
With a reported €85M to spend in the summer, which is before we can understand if Juventus will be able to sell any players who don’t fit in their plans, it is my belief that Juventus should find a suitable replacement for Dybala, who has not been available the last 2 seasons for big matches, including the recent Champions League match to Villarreal which saw Juventus draw 1-1 to the Spanish side. Dybala will never be replaced, just like all superstar players, but for Juventus, La Joya has become just a luxury at this point, a luxury that I see no reason to continue spending money on.
