Last week, Arsenal and Tottenham officially missed out on Paulo Dybala, as Roma announced his arrival.
It was said that the Gunners spoke to the 28-year-old’s agent as they attempted to take advantage of his free agency, while Spurs supposedly sent him a contract offer.
Eventually, José Mourinho convinced the Argentina international to sign a three-year deal in Rome, and before a ball has even been kicked, the South American has received a special welcome from the Giallorossi.
What’s the story?
Well, Dybala was met by thousands of Roma supporters outside the Square Colosseum in the Italian capital.
The man who just left Juventus sat on the steps as 8,000 fans chanted his name, and also sung the club’s anthem as they welcomed him to their beloved Roma.
After watching footage of Dybala’s unveiling, Gary Lineker was left stunned.
You can see what the BBC Match of the Day host wrote on Twitter in full below.
Lineker is right – they certainly don’t mess about in Rome when it comes to football.
Dybala joins Roma after scoring 15 goals in his final season at Juventus, where he scored 115 goals in 293 appearances after joining from Palermo in 2015.
As talented as he is, there is no way Dybala would’ve received a reception like this in north London, had he joined Arsenal or Tottenham.
Arsenal & Tottenham have done well
Despite missing out on the free transfer of Dybala, Arsenal and Tottenham have done well to strengthen their attacks regardless – albeit by spending a bit of money.
Mikel Arteta managed to sign Gabriel Jesus for £45m, a man who has already shone for the Gunners in pre-season.
The Brazilian most recently excited the Arsenal fans with a delicate dink over Edouard Mendy in a 4-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday.
In Tottenham’s case, Antonio Conte got his hands on Richarlison in a deal worth £60m – an expensive move, but one which adds plenty of quality depth to the Italian’s attack.
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