Manchester United and Chelsea are set to lock horns over the summer signing of Juventus talisman Paulo Dybala.
According to Francesc Aguilar of Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United and Chelsea have joined the race to snap up Argentine attacking sensation Paulo Dybala from Juventus this summer.
The 23-year-old took the entire Europe by storm this past season with his dazzling performances for the Old Lady – both in the Serie A as well as the UEFA Champions League. He came extremely close to tasting continental glory, but his side ended up losing in the final to Real Madrid.
Dybala played most of the season as a number 10 and showed a real intent in front of goal as he found the back of the net on 19 occasions in all competitions and provided seven assists.
After only moving from Palermo in the summer of 2015, Dybala has already established himself as a regular in Massimiliano Allegri’s plans at the Juventus Stadium. Playing in and around Gonzalo Higuain, the Argentine duo have wreaked havoc in opposition defences.
The former Palermo man has courted interest from the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, who were looking to snap him up in the January transfer window. The La Liga duo were keen on offering £100 million for his services, but Juve played hard ball and did not let him leave.
A few months later, the Old Lady tied the player down to a new deal and made him commit his future to the club until the end of the 2021/22 season. He also got a significant raise and now pockets a staggering £5.9 million ever year.
While it is unlikely that Juventus will sell the player in the summer, Chelsea and Manchester United are backed with a heavy financial muscle to make the Italian side think otherwise. Both clubs will compete in next season’s Champions League and will strengthen in this window.
The Red Devils who are looking for a player who operates in a Dybala-esque manner were all but certain to complete the signing of Antoine Griezmann. However, CAS upheld the imposed transfer ban which prevents Atletico Madrid from registering any players in the summer.
Thus, with no chance of roping in replacements for Griezmann, the club decided against selling him, and the player is now expected to sign an extension.
Chelsea, too, are eager to add to their ranks and Dybala will be a perfect signing for them as they look to retain their Premier League crown next season. Also, with star attackers Eden Hazard and Diego Costa linked with moves away, it is essential to rope in reinforcements.
The race to sign Dybala, thus, seems to be hotting up, and it remains to be seen if the player ends up leaving Juventus for either Manchester United or Chelsea this summer.
