Paulo Dybala Praises Playing with Cristiano Ronaldo amid Juventus Exit Rumours

Paulo Dybala has said it's a joy to play at Juventus and that he's enjoying his time alongside Cristiano Ronaldo despite ongoing rumours about him leaving the club.

It was feared Ronaldo's £100 million arrival could force the Argentinian out of Massimiliano Allegri's plans in Turin, but Dybala expressed his contentment at the club in an interview with Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia).

"When we talk about Juve, we're talking about an important club, who have always had great champions," he said. "Playing alongside them is always a pleasure. It gives me joy and huge satisfaction."

Not for the first time since Ronaldo, 34, joined the Old Lady from Real Madrid, Dybala was asked what it's like to be team-mates with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner: "Of course I enjoy it. Cristiano's a champion and it's always a pleasure to play with guys like him. Ronaldo makes things that are very difficult actually seem easy."

Dybala has been absent through injury for three of Juve's last five league games. He's started 29 times across all competitions (39 total appearances) but has only 10 goals to show for it, his worst scoring season since arriving from Palermo in 2015.

It wasn't long ago the South American was regarded as one of the most prized assets at Juventus, but sportswriter Adam Digby noted the shift in formation to accommodate Ronaldo:

Juventus director of sport Fabio Paratici recently ruled out a departure for Dybala and told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) it was "obvious he will certainly remain."

Not even the Portugal star could save the Bianconeri from falling out of the UEFA Champions League following their quarter-final defeat to Ajax. However, Ronaldo has clinched his first Scudetto in his maiden season in Italy.

Despite a disparity in playing minutes, there is one area in which Dybala can confidently claim superiority over his team-mate:

Ronaldo's ability means Allegri is effectively obligated to form much of his plans to fit him, even if it means restricting the chances of a player as promising as Dybala.

Presenter Mina Rzouki suggested the riches in attacking players at the Allianz Stadium meant Juve might be able to afford selling one or more frontline stars to better the team:

Dybala has started in each of his last three league appearances and recently captained the team in a 2-0 loss at Genoa, though Ronaldo and other senior figures were missing from the line-up.

Dybala's relationship with Ronaldo appears to be blooming, but Allegri still faces a dilemma in getting the best from both players as part of the same XI.