Del Piero puts forward Lionel Messi claim to explain why Dybala should turn down Arsenal and Tottenham
Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero has warned Paulo Dybala against joining Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur this summer, and has used Lionel Messi as an example.
Dybala is set to leave the Juventus Stadium on a free transfer when his contract expires in June, following seven successful years in Turin.
The 28-year-old has made 33 appearances for the Old Lady this season, scoring 13 times and providing six assists. Corriere dello Sport have reported that Tottenham are the favorites to snap up the attacking midfielder in the summer window. Meanwhile, their north London rivals Arsenal have also expressed interest.
Dybala applauded by the Juve stadium 🖤 #JuveFiorentina
https://t.co/saCGDxKg8f
Italian legend Del Piero, though, advised the Argentine not to leave Serie A. He pointed out that Dybala's international teammate Messi has struggled since departing Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
Messi has only scored three times in 21 Ligue 1 games since moving to the Parc Des Princes. Del Piero believes Dybala shouldn't make the same mistake.
The 47-year-old, who played 705 times for Juve, told Sky Italia, as per HITC Sport:
“A league like the Spanish one would help him in all respects. The more physical championships like in England and France, I think of Messi when he went to a league which was difficult from a physical point of view. In Spain and Italy, Dybala would do very well.”
The king is back home 👑1️⃣0️⃣
Del Piero returns to the Allianz for the first time in 10 years and was given a standing ovation like in his final home match. 🤍🖤 https://t.co/1aY65QKyhV
Tottenham hoping to use Juventus connections to secure Dybala signing ahead of Arsenal
Having once been considered a future contender for the Ballon d'Or, it's fair to say Dybala hasn't quite hit those heights in the past couple of seasons. Juve clearly feel that the Argentine isn't worth the incredibly high wages he is demanding.
However, the former Palermo midfielder still possesses blistering pace, technical ability and mesmerizing dribbling skills. These will certainly make him one of the hottest free agents on the market this summer.
Dybala is comfortable playing in a number of positions, including attacking midfield, centre-forward and on the right wing. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will hope to bank on Antonio Conte and former Juve sporting director Fabio Paratici. He will hope that they will be able to convince the South American playmaker to move to their side of north London.
Current Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski, who arrived from Juventus in January, would love to play with his old teammate again. He told Tuttosport in March:
“Dybala? I can only learn from the path that Paulo has taken. I love his way of playing. He has the game in his head. And, with his left foot, he invents magic that is usually only seen on the PlayStation.”
) Atletico Madrid and Inter are the clubs that have made offers for Paulo Dybala. @86_longo 🛑
(🌕) Atletico Madrid and Inter are the clubs that have made offers for Paulo Dybala. @86_longo 🛑🇦🇷 https://t.co/xA4PrL0gXF