Andy Brassell has told Sky Sports News (25/3, 12:34) he fears Juventus ace Paulo Dybala is not the right fit for a Premier League transfer, with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly keen.
Dybala will leave Turin at the end of the season after the Bianconeri elected not to extend the Argentine’s contract. The two parties could not reach a mutually beneficial agreement to keep him at the Serie A side he joined from Palermo in 2015 for a total €40m (£33.5m).
Talks in October returned an agreement over a new deal to run to the summer of 2026 at €8m-a-year (£128k-a/w), plus €1.5m (£1.25m) in bonuses, per Corriere Della Sera. But the Old Lady pulled their offer, and tried to renegotiate at a lower sum which halted progress.
Ultimately, Dybala refused a base €7m-a-year (£112k-a/w) salary, per TuttoJuve, plus goal and appearance-based bonuses. He will now hit the open market as a free agent this June.
Tottenham want to take Dybala to the Premier League in a free transfer when his Juventus contract expires. Corriere dello Sport even cite Spurs and Barcelona as the favourites. But TuttoMercatoWEB have suggested Antonio Conte’s side cannot afford his wage demands.
According to Sky Italia, having failed to agree a new contract with Juventus, Dybala is keen to land a €10m-a-year (£160k-a/w) net package, including bonuses. Any club agreeing such a figure would land a playmaker with 13 goals and six assists in 29 games so far this term.
Andy Brassell feels Dybala fitness issues a ‘huge problem’ amid Tottenham links
But European football expert Brassell fears Dybala’s record for injuries will make a Premier League transfer, with Tottenham keen, a tough challenge for the Juventus vice-captain.
“He’s going to have a few [options], there’s no doubt about that,” Brassell said. “There’s a big question to be asked about him, though, because Juventus haven’t let him go because he’s not a great player.
“They’ve let him go because they’d be committing an awful lot of money to someone who’s 28-years-old and who’s had a lot of injuries in recent years. That is a huge problem.
“I think when you look at the possibility of him arriving in the Premier League, you look at the way he plays, his versatility, his intelligence, he would be a great footballing fit for Manchester City. But do you want someone who has got that fitness question?
“I think, especially when you look at the physical tax in the Premier League, it is physically tough. You have to ask, really, is that the right move for Dybala? Atletico Madrid, I think, are an interesting option for him, they’ve been interested in him for a while.”
Dybala has already missed 13 fixtures across all competitions so far this season through a variety of injuries. He also sat out 19 games last term, between 26 appearances which led to five goals and three assists. So, Conte has some food for thought before any swoop.
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