Xavi wants 29-year-old World Cup winner Paulo Dybala in the Barcelona squad following his impressive campaign with AS Roma.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Xavi is keen on having Paulo Dybala at his disposal next season. And the Barcelona manager is pushing the Blaugrana to sign the 29-year-old from AS Roma. The World Cup winner will cost just €12 million in the summer transfer window due to a release clause in his contract.
Paulo Dybala has endured a topsy-turvy ride throughout his professional career thus far. The Argentine international was once among the most coveted players in the market. But after a few hit-and-miss campaigns, his stock has fallen, although he repaired his image during his debut season with AS Roma.
The 29-year-old contributed to 26 goals in 48 matches, finding the back of the net 18 times while providing eight assists. In addition, the experienced attacker was a part of Argentina’s squad, as La Albiceleste won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But Dybala’s future is uncertain after Roma failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. And his next destination might be Barcelona.
Barcelona had been keen on re-signing Lionel Messi in a Bosman move this summer. But their former captain has decided to join Inter Miami as he winds down his storied career. So Barcelona will have to realign the thought process in the market as they look to bolster the first-team squad.
Dybala’s name has thus emerged on Barcelona’s radar, with Xavi Hernandez being an admirer of his qualities. The report claims that Xavi is pushing the Blaugrana to sign the 29-year-old World Cup winner this summer. And considering the AS Roma attacker’s style closely resembles Messi’s, he is a viable target for Barcelona.
In addition, the Argentine international having a release clause worth only €12 million for foreign clubs makes him an attractive target. The Catalan giants are still in financial peril and cannot afford to spend vast sums of money on players. So signing a highly-productive player at his peak for just €12 million is sensible.
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But recent reports have also linked the 29-year-old World Cup winner with several Premier League clubs. But it will be interesting to see if Xavi can convince Barcelona to pursue Dybala’s signature in the coming months.
