Paulo Dybala has been linked with Manchester City and Liverpool, but the Argentinean striker would need to rediscover his false 9 skills should he join any of the two Premier League giants.

The Argentinean sees his Juventus contract expire at the end of the season and according to reports in Italy, he is unhappy with the club’s decision to withdraw a €10m-a-year contract offer they had placed only a few weeks ago.

Dybala could walk out of the club as a free agent in July with Inter, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly interested in securing his services.

As we’ve already explained in another article here on Football Italia, Dybala has failed to impress when deployed as a winger at Juventus.

The 28-year-old is a support striker or an attacking midfielder who likes to come deep to get the ball, connecting attack and midifeld.

On paper, Inter’s 3-5-2 would be the best system to bring out his quality in the final third, but the Nerazzurri may not put the most lucrative offer on the table, not to mention that they are Juventus’ harshest rivals in Italy.

Antonio Conte would offer him the chance to play in the same system at Tottenham, but Spurs do not have the same status as Liverpool and Manchester City. Offers from England could definitely tempt the Argentinean.

Where would Dybala fit into Liverpool tactics?

However, Dybala can’t replace any of Liverpool or City’s wingers on paper as he doesn’t have the same pace and intensity.

He could be deployed as a false 9 instead, a role which he hasn’t covered consistently since his time at Palermo.

La Joya spent his first season in Serie A with the Rosanero, playing as a sole striker under Beppe Iachini.

Dybala scored 13 goals and registered ten assists in the first 35 Serie A games in his career before completing a €40m to Juventus in the summer of 2015.

Massimiliano Allegri has sometimes used him in the same role at Juventus, but the Argentinean failed to reach the same standards and has shown his best qualities when placed behind another centre forward.

Clearly, the physical strength of Premier League defenders is much different to those of Serie A and Dybala’s adaptation to Premier League football may not be easy at all.

However, La Joya has already played as a false 9 and working under two of the best coaches in the world, such as Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola, could help him rediscover a skill that he seems to have lost.

11 thought on “The skills Dybala needs to rediscover if he joins Liverpool or Manchester City”
  1. He needs to “rediscover skills” to play in the premier league? Nonsense. He needs to run more and not get injured. That is the only challenge- but it would be a pretty big one. His technique has never been in doubt

  2. The best team for him to play is Juve where he can play behind Vlahovic and already has his status. Anywhere he goes, he will become just one player in the team. He will regret at the end. Dybala cannot play in PL. He will get injured every week. Who is going to pay him 10M a year to sit on the bench.

  3. He’s still a Juventus player. What’s the point of articles about where Dybala would play in Liverpool and what skills he needs in Premier?

  4. He needs to grow a pair, keep his head down, and put in the graft. His skill has never been a problem. It’s his attitude, and how keenly he listens to his agent who’s always trying to grab more money.

  5. Reporting on news linking him to PL sides is one thing, but writing editorials about how he would fit there is ridiculous.

    Every other article now has something to do with the PL and it’s getting annoying

  6. @ Ravanelli
    Thank You! I don’t come to this site for EPL news. I couldn’t care less about English Petrol League.

  7. This article has neglected to mention that a possible destination for Dybala is Barcelona where he would fit in well with Xavi’s system of play. Barcelona is still in the race as I’m sure he would not lower himself to gutter standards and go to Shinter. At the end of the day it will come down to how well he gels with Vlahovic, how well he plays and if he remains injury free and if all of that is positive, Juve might up the offer enough for him to stay (but not $10M). Otherwise I can see him going to Barca first, Man City second, and finally to Liverpool. Shinter no because they are not at the standard of those teams.

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