Bharath Rammr
Juventus forward Paulo Dybala has become one of the most wanted men in European football. A number of clubs like Manchester City and Real Madrid are fighting out for his signature. The latest to join in the race is Premier League giants Manchester United and José Mourinho has made Dybala his number one transfer target, and the player who would eventually replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic, according to the reports from the Sun. The big Swede has been a huge hit for United after moving from Paris St Germain on a free transfer in the summer.
United and Mourinho are aware that the player cannot be performing at the highest level for the next five years. At 35 years of age, the striker has realistically a couple of years of top level football left in him. Wayne Rooney is not exactly a ready-made replacement, as he has been shuffled around the pitch a lot in recent years.
Dybala has managed to score 4 goals in nine starts this season. At just 23 years of age, he is one of the talented young forwards in world football. Last season, he managed to come up with 19 goals for the team that finished as the champions once again. The player has a contract with the Italian champions to the summer of 2020. This long contract means that the club currently values in excess of £50 million. It would represent a double of his valuation from just a few years ago. Dybala was signed from Palermo in the summer of 2015 for around £23 million.
The competition from clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester City will certainly be intense. Each club is in the market for a new striker for various reasons. Manager Pep Guardiola is keen on strengthening the forward line at Manchester City, which only has Sergio Aguero as the most prolific name. Real Madrid are also keen on strengthening the attack despite bringing in Alvaro Morata in the summer. The former Juventus forward is reportedly keen on returning back to Turin, where he has had the most success.
Barcelona are nervous about the situation of Lionel Messi, whose contract runs out in the summer of 2018. However, they are unable to agree on a deal with the Argentine superstar since they are restricted by the wage cap. Recent bumper contracts to Suarez and Neymar mean that the club are not in a position to make Messi as the highest earner without improving aspects like the overall revenue of the club. Since it may take a couple of years, the club are increasingly concerned about the situation of the 29-year-old.
Dybala is expected to score more goals if he manages to step out of the shadows of Gonzalo Higuain.
