Paulo Dybala enters his third year wearing the AS Roma colors, and this season will be notable for sharing the squad with two other Argentinians: Leandro Paredes and Matias Soule. However, a change in his contract has cast uncertainty over the future of one of the stars in Daniele De Rossi‘s squad as the season is about to begin.
With the main objective of contending for the Serie A title alongside Inter, Milan, and Juventus, among others, the Roman side has bolstered their squad with several new faces. Roma has signed Spanish full-back Angelino, French midfielder Enzo Le Feé, and Spanish league revelation Artem Dovbyk as key additions. All of them will support the team’s star player: Paulo Dybala.
However, the future of the 30-year-old from Cordoba seems to be changing drastically at the start of the 2024-25 season. Dybala joined Roma in mid-2022 and signed a three-year contract, which included a release clause lower than his market value, set at €12 million for foreign leagues and €16 million for Italian teams.
What was unknown until now is that his release clause was valid only for the first two years of the contract. It expired in the third year, which is what happened in recent days on the eve of the 2024-25 season. Specifically, if any team wants to sign Paulo Dybala this season, they will now need to negotiate directly with Roma, which was not the case just a few weeks ago.
Paulo Dybala of AS Roma celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and UC Sampdoria at Stadio Olimpico on April 02, 2023 in Rome, Italy.
In the final year of his contract with the capital club, Dybala no longer controls his future on his own. Should an offer arrive, Roma will have the first say, and given that he is considered their star player, it seems unlikely they would want to part with him.
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Saudi Arabia is tempting Paulo Dybala
Many media outlets in the Italian capital, such as Voce Giallo Rossa and Corriere dello Sport, have revealed that teams from the Arab league are not giving up on acquiring Dybala. What was once a straightforward negotiation with the execution of the release clause now requires a formal discussion with the Roman club beforehand.
The Saudi Investment Fund aims to acquire Dybala’s registration to place him in one of its four teams (Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahly, Al-Nassr, or Al-Hilal) and is tempting him with a €20 million contract for two years. Although Dybala is intrigued by the opportunity, it currently seems distant due to the implications of moving to Saudi Arabia both sportingly and as a life decision
Should he eventually accept a move to Saudi Arabia or any other destination, AS Roma is targeting striker Edon Zhegrova as his replacement. The Kosovo native, who is 25 years old, is a standout player for Lille in the French league. However, Daniele De Rossi’s main intention is to continue having Paulo Dybala with the team this season.
Paulo Dybala speaks about his future
A few weeks ago, the forward gave an interview to The Athletic in which he discussed his future: “I’ve been in Italy for almost 12 years, and I’m living an incredible moment. It’s hard for me to see myself away from Italy because I’ve grown up here. Italy has everything for me. It would be difficult to leave, but obviously, there is also the curiosity of seeing how I could perform in other leagues,” he said, prioritizing the Italian league while keeping the door open to other challenges.
De Rossi’s opinion on Dybala’s potential departure
Daniele De Rossi, in response to rumors about Dybala’s potential departure, recently stated: “When I was asked if there was anyone who needed to be kept tied down in Rome, I said no. Anyone who wants to leave is free to do so. Those who are here are all Roma players; we will see what happens, but what I’m saying is not based on him or the rumors I read.”
Daniele De Rossi, Head Coach of AS Roma, acknowledges the fans prior to the Serie A TIM match between AS Roma and Hellas Verona FC at Stadio Olimpico on January 20, 2024 in Rome, Italy.
The goals AS Roma has set for the 2024/2025 season
Daniele De Rossi’s Roma dreams of clinching the Scudetto once again. It’s been over 20 years since their last title, which came in the 2000/2001 season. But that’s not their only goal. The team also aims to win the Coppa Italia and the Europa League, starting their campaign in the group stage.
