Juve, Dybala is a regret: star numbers in Rome

The last time together we saw them like this: Paulo Dybala and Dusan Vlahovic sitting in the center of the Allianz Stadium, with Joya in tears trying to enjoy the last moments of her old home and the new symbol of the Lady trying to console him. We have just smelled what a couple they would have been, because the Argentine and the Serbian at Juventus only shared a piece of the season, but the feeling was immediate, on and off the pitch, and the numbers say they could have entertained the Juventus fans . Thus, in light of the season that Dybala is having with the Roma shirt, the regret of what could have been and will never be grows.

CHOICES AND REGRETS

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Let’s rewind the tape: a year ago, Juventus chose to let Dybala go to zero, turning around after the promises of renewal with a long contract. Version also confirmed by the recent interrogation of Luca Ferrari, the player’s lawyer, as part of the Prisma investigation (the player still has to have around 3 million for deferred salaries due to Covid in 2020-21). It was all done, but in March the club backed out. Reason? He had chosen to invest in Dusan Vlahovic by giving up his number 10, too fragile and too discontinuous for the Lady’s projects. Thus the tandem was divided and Dybala found himself in the yellow and red shirt a few months later. A strong position taken by the old Juventus management which perhaps was not so far-sighted, especially in light of the current results and subsequent choices.

POGBA’S CALVARY

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The budgeted investment for Dybala (4-year contract at 10 million euros per season, including bonuses) was in fact diverted to Paul Pogba, heir to the number 10 shirt, who, however, has so far been a mysterious object: only a few clips from the match the Frenchman and a long ordeal after his knee injury at the end of July. Therefore it is legitimate to wonder what Juventus would have been like this season with an extra Dybala, in light of the numbers of him and those of the other strikers in the squad.

WHAT A PERFORMANCE

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Paulo has scored more than any other Juventus player so far (the best of the Bianconeri is Vlahovic with 11 goals this season) and has 6 assists in Serie A: only Kostic has made more in the Lady’s home (8), while Di Maria he is stuck at 4. It means that the Argentine could have also helped to score more Vlahovic, who suffers from a lack of goalscoring. Paulo loves to inspire as well as score, but in Roma he is often forced to do it all by himself, given the difficult moment of the other strikers. In Allegri’s 3-5-2 he would have been perfect behind Dusan or with Milik because he is more comfortable in the role of finisher than Di Maria. As for continuity, this season he has missed 9 games due to injury, one less than Vlahovic and 2 less than Di Maria. We avoid confrontation with Pogba because it would be truly merciless, but the question arises spontaneously: we are sure that the physical problems he was often the victim of at Juve were only his fault and not a more general problem also linked to preparation, which sooner or later the club will face?