New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino once compared Roma’s Paulo Dybala to ‘Messi, Cristiano and Neymar’ while La Joya was still at Juventus, and now, according to multiple reports, the Argentine coach is interested in bringing his compatriot to Stamford Bridge.
Dybala is currently contracted to Roma until the summer of 2025, but has a release clause written into his contract, which stands at €12m for teams outside of Italy.
Chelsea are said to have been in contact with Dybala’s agent over a potential move to the Premier League, and if his previous comments are anything to go by, Pochettino is certainly a huge admirer.
Speaking ahead of the Champions League clash between Tottenham and Juventus in 2018, which the Bianconeri eventually won 4-3 on aggregate, Pochettino sung Dybala’s praises during his pre-match press conference.
Dybala was injured and unavailable for the clash, which Pochettino thought at the time would be a major factor in his side’s chances against Juve.
“He’s a great footballer and Juve is a different team when he’s on the pitch and when he’s not,” Pochettino said five years ago. “Like Messi, Cristiano and Neymar, he has the ability to give the team lots of alternative options.
“It will be tougher for Juve (playing without Dybala), but they have many other players, like Bernardeschi. We want to reach the same level as Juve with the same motivation as them.”