Is Paulo Dybala the Player Capable of Firing Juventus to Glory in Europe?

With the end of the 2014-15 campaign looming large, talk inevitably turns to reviewing the season and looking ahead to what the next one may bring. Despite having all but mathematically clinched the Serie A title—and with the Coppa Italia final and a Champions League quarter-final still to be played—it is no different for Italian giants Juventus.

Perhaps the biggest question mark hanging over the future of the Bianconeri continues to be Carlos Tevez, who is set to enter the last 12 months of his contract with the team. The striker has made no secret of his desire to return to former club Boca Juniors when that deal ends, making his views abundantly clear in an interview with Argentinian website Ole.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

"I've said that I want to honour my contract right to the end, but I have no intention of extending it,” Tevez said, relayed Ben Gladwell of ESPN. Those words have led many to believe the Buenos Aires powerhouse could lure the 31-year-old to La Bombonera a year early, with Boca president Daniel Angelici refusing to play down that possibility.

“If Tevez can’t terminate his Juventus contract by mutual consent first, then he will stay on in Turin until June 2016,” the Boca president told Radio La Red last week (h/t Football Italia). Given the player has weighed in with 25 goals in just 35 appearances this season, he would arguably be almost impossible to replace for Juventus.

It remains unlikely that Tevez will depart this summer, but that has not stopped the speculation that another red-hot Argentinian could be the man chosen to fill the void he would leave behind. In what has been a breakout top-flight campaign on the peninsula, Paulo Dybala has captured the attention of fans across Europe thanks to his own deadly accuracy in front of goal.

Alessandro Fucarini/Associated Press

Having merely been a fringe player for Palermo prior to this season, the 21-year-old has smashed no fewer than 13 goals in 2014-15—adding nine assists—placing himself firmly on the radar of the continent's top clubs.

Rosanero president Maurizio Zamparini recently provided a lengthy list of suitors to France Football (h/t Goal), telling the outlet that “PSG are interested just as they are at Arsenal, Manchester City, Juventus, Inter, Roma and Napoli.”

It is believed that the Bianconeri are ahead of the others in the chase for Dybala’s signature, but is he capable of firing Juventus to glory in Europe?

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

Dybala has undoubtedly enjoyed an incredible season, both in terms of his goal tally and the sheer delight with which he seems to be playing his football at Palermo. But does his impact stand up to closer scrutiny, and could he perform at that same level under the intense pressure that comes from representing a club such as Juventus?

With goals against Lazio, Milan and AS Roma, he has already proved he relishes the big occasion, but attention must also be drawn to his almost complete no-show against Juventus in March. In a 90-minute outing, Dybala failed to register a shot on target and truly failed to grasp what was undoubtedly a huge chance to shine.

Of course, he would be expected to mature and improve when surrounded by better players, with the graphic below, courtesy of Squawka, showing a number of areas in which he clearly and understandably trails behind Tevez.

Squawka.com

Given the huge financial gap that remains between Italy’s top club and those from England, Germany and Spain, it seems impossible that just one man could mask that gulf, let alone one who has really only enjoyed six months as a major protagonist.

In short, there is plenty of promise to Dybala, but he is unlikely to make Juventus Champions League winners on his own. But a year in Turin as an understudy to Tevez could see him improve further still, and he seems to possess that special unidentifiable quality that allows nothing to be ruled out in the future.