After bursting onto the Serie A scene with Palermo, becoming a genuine star at Juventus and then a hero at AS Roma, it seems Paulo Dybala is set to swap the Italian capital for Galatasaray this summer.
The Argentina international has endured a torrid five months, but in truth his problems go back much further than that. Brought to Juventus in 2015 at a cost of €32 million ($33.58 million) – plus a further €8 million ($8.39 million) in add-ons – he became one of football’s hottest talents and was viewed as a potential Ballon d’Or winner.
Helping the Bianconeri to three consecutive Serie A and Coppa Italia doubles in his first three seasons in Turin cemented those views, only for injuries and the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo to marginalise Dybala’s impact.
How Paulo Dybala became marginalised at Juventus
A missed penalty would cost Juve victory in the 2020 Coppa Italia final, and Dybala would start just 14 league games the following season, finding himself in the shadow of new signing Dusan Vlahovic after the departure of Ronaldo.
Then, in March 2022 came a genuine bombshell. After talks over a new deal, Juve’s then-CEO Maurizio Arrivabene announced that the club had decided not to renew Dybala's contract which would expire in the summer.
“Juventus' project has changed and part of this change included Dybala's contract which today was not renewed," the Bianconeri chief told reporters. "It would have been easy for Juventus to make a much-reduced offer but it would have been disrespectful to Paulo.
"Paulo is no longer at the centre of the Juventus project, that's why we preferred to make this decision. No-one has ever questioned his quality but there were considerations to be made over his appearance numbers and length of his contract."
Paulo Dybala made free agent move to Roma
While Juve had decided to cut ties, Dybala was still held in high regard by other sides and was seen as a widely coveted free agent as Inter, Atletico Madrid and a number of Premier League sides were linked with moves to sign him.
Still only 28 and having bounced back to end the 2021/22 campaign in good form, it was easy to see why. Yet rather than one of Europe’s elite clubs, it was AS Roma who eventually won the race to acquire Dybala, announcing with great fanfare that he had signed him to a three-year deal.
The switch proved to be ideal for both parties, as Dybala helped fire the Giallorossi to the UEFA Europa League Final in his first season, weighing in with 18 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.
Since then however, Roma have steadily declined. Jose Mourinho was sacked in January 2024 and despite a brief resurgence under club legend Daniele De Rossi, the situation has only gotten worse.
Paulo Dybala and a summer of discontent
This past summer things appeared to come to a head with De Rossi admitting to La Gazzetta dello Sport that selling Dybala was an option. That led to links with teams in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Al Qadsiah eventually making a concrete offer to both Roma and the player.
Much to the delight of Roma fans, Dybala rejected that option but the 2024/25 season has given them little else to celebrate. De Rossi was fired after just four games, with replacement Ivan Juric only lasting another 12 before Claudio Ranieri was called in to try to resurrect their fortunes.
Yet even he has struggled, winning just twice thus far and the poor form of many players is glaring to observers everywhere. Amidst such upheaval, Dybala has made 18 appearances, managing just two goals and one assist as his side slump to sit just two points above the relegation zone.
Roma have never entered talks to renew his contract which expires in June, and speculation sparked into life when Dybala’s agent was spotted at Galatasaray’s match with Trabzonspor this past weekend.
Sky Italia have since reported that the Turkish side have offered Dybala a deal worth €10 million ($10.5 million) per year, while Galatasaray Vice President Metin Ozturk admitted to TMW that there has been contact between his club and the player.
“Everyone plays his role and does his job. I’m glad to have him and play him when he’s fit,” Ranieri said when asked about the rumours by Sport Mediaset. “If he has other priorities, two parties must agree on it. If he doesn’t want to stay, there is a possibility [to leave]. I only want players who are happy to stay here.”
It remains to be seen whether Roma will sell in January, or if Paulo Dybala will once again be a free agent on the move in the summer.