Why Paulo Dybala Is the Most Important Summer Signing for Juventus
The pre-season preparations are firmly underway for Juventus, with players beginning to report for duty ahead of the forthcoming campaign. There are, however, a number of familiar faces missing, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez having already moved on, with Arturo Vidal seemingly set to follow suit, as reported by BBC Sport.
There are also some new signings, of course, with the Turin giants having worked quickly to secure replacements for those departing stars. Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza will look to match the Argentinian’s incredible scoring record, while the expectation surrounding Sami Khedira was discussed at length in this previous column.
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Yet despite two of that trio having tasted Champions League glory with their former clubs, Paulo Dybala is the one summer addition the Bianconeri arguably need the most from. He is certainly the most expensive, with the official club website noting they had paid Palermo no less than €32 million, with a further €8 million in potential add-ons.
He spent his first day at the training ground on Tuesday this week, with a press conference held a day later to introduce him to the media, as the player himself explained what he expected from the move.
“Playing for a great club like Juventus represents an important step for me,” Dybala said per the official Juventus website. “I hope to develop both as a player and as a person and to become a key member of the team.”
Clearly, having made such a substantial investment, the Bianconeri will expect the same from the man who will be pulling on the No. 21 shirt in 2015/16. One of the main things the side needs from Dybala is the creativity both Pirlo—who previously wore that same number—and Tevez brought to the side.
That duo led the team in terms of key passes last season, with statistics from WhoScored.com showing they averaged 2.2 and 1.9 respectively in that category. It is telling that the same source shows the next highest tally among the first-team regulars was Paul Pogba, with just 1.4 such passes per game.
Figures from Squawka.com show Tevez led the club in terms of overall chances created with 61, but there is hope Dybala can make up for that shortfall. The 21-year-old notched 10 assists last term, a league-high mark and a number better than any Juventus player managed in 2014/15, where Claudio Marchisio managed a total of six to lead the current squad.
According to WhoScored, Dybala made an average of 1.7 key passes in his 34 appearances, and the graphic below highlights his impressive ability to create opportunities for others compared to his new team-mates.
His former coach Beppe Iachini has warned against expecting too much of the striker, who netted 13 goals last term. “He has to find a way to wait for his chance at Juventus, to show he deserves a chance and to play when he gets that chance,” the Palermo boss when Tele Radio Stereo asked him about the move (h/t Football Italia).
“At a higher level, playing for a top team, you have to know how to wait, and take advantage of moments, of chances,” Iachini continued. Thanks to that high price tag, however, there will likely be intense pressure placed upon his shoulders, and as the heat grew at that inaugural press conference, Dybala was forced to wipe away a few beads of sweat as he went on to say that Juventus was “the perfect club to start winning things.”
When the spotlight falls upon him in the forthcoming campaign, the Bianconeri will hope he steps up to help them do just that, and Paulo Dybala is arguably the man they will rely upon most to fill the void left by those high-profile departures.
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