First Massimiliano Allegri returns, and now this summer 2021 turns out to be a special one for Juventus supporters.
For the past three years, Paulo Dybala has tipped to become the king of Bianconeri’s forward line, a knight heir to the throne of Lionel Messi in Barcelona, and then suffered so much mercy that his current club has tried to force him out of the door at more than an opportunity.
The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2018 completely turned Dybala’s future upside down, as it quickly became clear that: 1) the Argentine was no longer the captain, and 2) one of the pair may have to leave to keep the club financially stable.
This addition of 31 million euros per year meant that contract talks with Dybala stopped and caused tensions and friction between club and players. Many fans imagined that they had seen the last of La Joya in a Juve shirt after the Champions League qualifier that secured the victory over Bologna in May, but the latest updates suggest that he is finally rewarded for his loyalty and insane talent.
? What. A goal! ?
⚪️⚫️ Paulo Dybala? #UCL | @juventusfcen pic.twitter.com/T3fUa2foWV
– UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) 3 December 2019
La Gazzetta released the news on Saturday that I Bianconeri is ready to honor Dybala with the bumper contract he longs for (and deserves), sending out the clearest indication that he will be the star of their forward line – with or without Ronaldo.
Now, anyone who watched Dybala last season can question the motives behind that deal, especially when the club could still get a decent transfer fee for their services, as his contract has been ticking for the last 12 months.
The 27-year-old managed only four goals and three assists in 2020/21, far from the 22 goals and five assists he delivered in Algrig’s last season at the club in 2017/18. But it is the figures from three years ago that have inspired Juve’s heart change – or more importantly, the man who helped him reach such devastating heights.
The day Paulo Dybala made the winner against AC MILAN who won the match and it was the game that was decisive to win the scudetto. pic.twitter.com/5nXMx88JxF
– D10 Bianconeri (@ D10Bianconeri) June 24, 2021
Allegri knew exactly how to maximize Dybala’s infinite potential during his time in Turin, and transformed the star from an early and skilled trickster to a ruthless and clinical goal machine. He scored 52 league goals in the three years under the title-winning coach – almost unrecognizable figures, compared to the 20 he collected during the last three campaigns.
It’s safe to say, La Joya’s career has stopped without Allegie’s guidance, and the transition from protagonist to Ronaldo’s side kick knocked his confidence down a flight of stairs. But the winds are changing in Turin.
Their Portuguese superstar has also entered the final year of his contract, but it is simply not economically feasible for Bianconeri to offer him another eye-watering deal. That ship has sailed and the experiment has failed.
The right man to get the best out of Dybala / Nicolò Campo / Getty Images
When one renews confidence in Dybala, there is also a new hope. It is obvious that Juve are at a crossroads, and when they have hired Allegri, they have already decided to make this trip while wearing a pair of old, comfortable slippers.
It’s time to travel back in time by three years and admit that they were on the right track after all by building a team around Dybala. He was the past – and they wasted his now – but it’s not too late to make him their future.
