Juventus legend Andrea Barzagli doesn’t know if Paulo Dybala will extend with the Bianconeri, but warns his former club: ‘Now, it could be late.’
Barzagli won eight Serie A titles in Turin under Antonio Conte and Max Allegri. After his retirement, he spent a few months in Maurizio Sarri’s staff but left the club permanently in 2020.
He spent four seasons with Dybala at the Allianz Stadium, with the Argentinean arriving in Turin from Palermo in a €40m deal in 2015.
La Joya is now edging towards the expiration of his contract and the two parties seem nowhere near to reaching an agreement.
They had reportedly shaken hands on a €10m-a-year deal including bonuses until 2026, but the Bianconeri will likely lower their offer when they will resume talks next month.
“It’s not easy to solve this situation. Juventus are at a crossroads,” Barzagli told DAZN.
“This saga has been ongoing for almost two years. Juventus, like many other clubs, are struggling due to COVID, they replaced Maurizio Sarri with Andrea Pirlo in 2020 and last season was quite thought despite winning two trophies.
“There were many expectations this season with the return of Max Allegri. Everyone expected better results. The club chiefs have changed too with Maurizio Arrivabene and Federico Cherubini and without Fabio Paratici.
“Dybala had a great start and when Ronaldo left, many thought he’d have been the star of this team, even the captain without Giorgio Chiellini.”
Juventus currently sit fifth in the table, one point off Atalanta, but La Dea has a game in hand.
“Right now, it’s important to qualify for the Champions League and having or not having Dybala makes the difference, he’s had some injuries lately,” Barzagli continued.
“Now it could be late, but Juventus are making their assessment.”
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Many clubs in Europe are being linked with a move for the Argentinean, including Tottenham, Inter and Barcelona. What does Barzagli think Juventus will do?
“I don’t know. I don’t question the footballer. Dybala is an extraordinary player,” the 2006 World Cup winner said.
“However, sometimes it would be better not to reply to some questions because the situation could become more chaotic. Perhaps, something has irritated him, so it’s not an easy situation. I don’t know what they will decide. Surely, everything they decide will attract criticism.”
Å miste Dybala skal vare slag i ansikt til Juve, spesielt etter måneder med kontraktsjonglersaga. Begge sider må komme frem til en fornuftig løsning så snart som mulig.