Paulo Dybala’s future has been a hotly contested subject all summer long. It was announced back in March that the Argentina international wouldn’t be signing a new Juventus deal. With his contract in Turin expiring on June 30th, the next destination of the former Palermo striker has been an interesting subplot to an already chaotic transfer window. But now, that saga is officially over. Numerous media outlets have confirmed that the five-time Scudetto winner will head to the Stadio Olimpico, joining Jose Mourinho’s Roman revolution. Oddschecker, which compares odds and provides free tips on European football, still have Roma as outsiders for the Serie A crown this season. But if they continue with more signings of this ilk, don’t be surprised to see the Giallorossi turn a few heads once the new campaign gets underway on 14th August
The Saga Ends
The now-former Juventus star has proven his class in the Italian top flight, over a number of years. He’s bagged 115 goals since his arrival from Palermo for €32m back in 2015. He’s won everything there is to win in the Italian game, even reaching the Champions League final in his second season Bianconeri, eventually losing out to a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
But the arrival of goal-machine Dusan Vlahovic in January left Dybala’s future at the Allianz Stadium in doubt. The 22-year-old Serbian arrived from Fiorentina for €80m and had hit the ground running, scoring four goals in his first seven games, which may have prompted manager Max Allegri to cut ties with his former star man.
Since January, Dybala has endured somewhat of a will-he-won’t-he saga with Inter Milan. It seemed that last year’s Seria A runners-up were in pole position to land the coveted signature, flirting with the idea of bringing him to the San Siro throughout the second half of last term. But in recent works, it was reported that talks between player and club had broken down, with the Nerazzurri preferring to focus their efforts on bringing Romelu Lukakau home.
That breakdown in talks opened the door for a plethora of clubs to try and seal the deal for one of European football’s hottest properties. Reigning Italian champions AC Milan through their name into the mix, as did English giants Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. But it seems like the lure of playing for Jose Mourinho – the man who brought a first-ever European trophy to the red half of the capital city – was too much to turn down.
What can we Expect from Mourinho’s Men Next Season?
Jose Mourinho’s first campaign back in Italy — 11 years on from departing his all-conquering Inter Milan for the Bernabeu — was somewhat of a mixed bag. In September 2021, a 93rd-minute winner at home to Sassuolo from Stephan El Shaarawy gave Mourinho’s Roman’s a third consecutive victory and sent them to the summit of Serie A in The Special One’s 1000th game in football.
But then the slump duly came. His side were thumped 6-1 away at Norwegian minnows Bodø/Glimt, as well as losing back to back against AC Milan and Juventus, the latter of which was a game where Roma conceded three goals in seven minutes to throw away a 3-1 lead. But the iconic Portuguese manager galvanised his troops to defeat Leicester City and Feyenoord to lift the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League, a success that he ranks as one of his best-ever achievements.
He will now look to build on that achievement. Mourinho will be gunning for glory in the Europa League as well as attempting to secure a top-four finish in Serie A, which would secure Champions League football in 2023. And you wouldn’t bet against them succeeding, especially with the firepower of Dybala up-top alongside England international Tammy Abraham – so impressive in his debut campaign in Italy, bagging 26 goals in all competitions. That strike force is as good as any in Europe on their day, and Jose Mourinho will be expecting them to lead him to an incredible 27th trophy as a manager.
