Joya finished. It is precisely the case to say it, given that Paulo Dybala’s adventure at Roma now appears in the closing credits. A separation that risks becoming almost inevitable already during the January transfer window. On the other hand, it is no mystery that the Giallorossi club wants to get rid of the Argentine playmaker, whose contract expires in June. Agreement which, however, is automatically renewed for another season until 2026, if the number 21 plays 7 more games of at least 45 minutes between now and the end of the championship. In short, the risk that the extension will be triggered for another year appears decidedly real if not even probable. A move that the management would like to avoid in every way, given that they do not intend to pay another 9 million (7 net plus 2 bonus) to Dybala. A figure that weighs heavily on the balance sheet for an element in a downward spiral and which has been going on for 32 years. Which is why Friedkin’s club immediately opened the door to the attacker’s departure in the winter transfer market. It’s now up to Galatasaray to try to convince Paulo to land on the Bosphorus. La Joya reflects on the proposal of around 10 million per season until 2027 received from the Turks, who are trying to play the wild card Mauro Icardi to get the playmaker’s yes. Dybala and the former Inter center forward have been the same age and have been on friendly terms for years. For this reason, the Gala used Maurito in the Cupid version to illustrate its project, hoping to obtain the approval of the former Juventus Diez. With hindsight, one could easily say that the idyll between Dybala and the Roma club ended in August, when the Giallorossi management finalized his transfer to Saudi Arabia. Al-Qadsiah had, in fact, put on the table a three-year contract worth a total of 80 million for Joya, but a paltry compensation of only 3 million for the Giallorossi club. This proposal had caused the dialogue between the clubs to slow down until Dybala’s definitive no, who had preferred to remain in the capital. A choice also motivated by family factors (his wife Oriana and mother Alicia were not too inclined to move to Saudi Arabia). Will Gala be able to close the deal now? We will see. Paulo took a few days to reflect, given that his initial idea involved staying in Rome until June.
The presence of one of its agents (tax expert Carlos Novel) in Istanbul, however, underlines how serious the Gala is. So much so that Claudio Ranieri also opened up about Joya’s possible farewell: «If Paulo has other priorities and doesn’t want to stay, it’s right to please him. To date, however, I have not perceived this desire.”
