Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo rules out Paulo Dybala exit
Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo has backed Paulo Dybala despite his poor performances, stating that the Argentine forward is a part of his plans.
Paulo Dybala has been heavily linked with a move away from Juventus in recent months, despite openly stating that he has no desire to leave the club.
The Argentine has been one of the standout players in Serie since joining Juventus from Parma in the summer of 2015. He has since made over 100 appearances for the club, winning the Serie A and Coppa Italia double in his first three seasons, as well as two more consecutive league titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.
Paulo Dybala has also been named in the Serie A Team of the Year three times, and won the Most Valuable Player award for the 2019–20 season. Despite his outstanding performances for Juventus last season, the Argentine has thus far been unable to impress new manager Andrea Pirlo.
The 27-year-old has lost his place in the starting XI to Spanish striker, Alvaro Morata. Many expected this to be the season Paulo Dybala steps out of the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo, and become Juventus' talisman.
Andrea Pirlo reaffirms that Paulo Dybala is a part of his plans despite poor form
This season has however, arguably been Paulo Dybala's worst start to a campaign as a Juventus player. He was injured at the start of the season, and is now struggling to break into the team when fit. Dybala missed Juventus' 4-0 win over Pama, which compounded his woes.
Dybala was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United or Tottenham in the summer of 2019, but he decided to stay at Juventus and fight for his place. The Argentine continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League, but Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo insists that Dybala is a part of his plans for the club.
Pirlo said via Calciomercato: "I'm the coach, I think about coaching all the players, Dybala is one of them, he's doing very well. Too bad he had a little problem the other day in training, yesterday he tried. But he was afraid of getting hurt, so we hope to get him back by Tuesday night. Champions are always part of strong teams."
Andrea Pirlo will be hoping that Paulo Dybala comes good in the coming weeks as Juventus approach a hectic fixture schedule. The Bianconeri will be eyeing the Serie A title, and a serious push for the Champions League title this season.