Do Arsenal need Paulo Dybala after Gabriel Jesus' signing is confirmed?

Paulo Dybala


Do Arsenal need Paulo Dybala after Gabriel Jesus' signing is confirmed?

By Tom Masters

With Arsenal confirming the signing of Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, it appears that their front three has been finalised for next season. 


Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both laid claims to be the starting wingers on the left and right respectively, and Jesus is destined to be the starting centre forward with Alexandre Lacazette leaving. 


But Argentina forward Paolo Dybala is leaving Juventus this summer on a free transfer, and Arsenal have been heavily linked with him – the question is, do the Gunners need him? 



Where would he play? 


With the front three places seemingly taken, and Martin Ødegaard making the central attacking midfield position his own, it is not immediately obvious where the Argentine would fit into the Arsenal XI. 


Of course, a player of his calibre would most likely come in and make his class known, but with Arsenal already spending money on Jesus and another Brazilian forward in Marquinhos, as well as Eddie Nketiah signing a contract extension, it is certainly not clear where Dybala fits into these plans. 



Should the money be used elsewhere? 


As it would be a free transfer, there is of course no transfer fee to be agreed upon, but a player of Dybala’s quality would be on a hefty wage and would also require a significant signing on fee.

 

It is understood Mikel Arteta has around £100m to spend this summer, but if Dybala joined on big wages that would no doubt be reduced. 


The Gunners are in contact with Lisandro Martinez, as well as Youri Tielemans, while Aaron Hickey is also on the shortlist. 


And with Dybala also wanted by Manchester United, Inter, and Roma, they would have to outbid the three clubs with an enticing offer, which for a player who isn’t guaranteed to be in the starting XI may not be worth it. 



Is it a win/win signing? 


On the flip side, Dybala has proven himself – scoring 98 goals in 271 Serie A appearances, with a further 51 assists. 


Those are numbers that show just how good Dybala is, and maybe show that for a free signing he is worth a gamble, even though his place in the team may not be guaranteed. 


Financially too, while it may hinder them in the short term and could see them miss out on other targets, they would also be able to sell him on in future if he were not to work out – making them profit. 



Verdict


He is certainly not required by Arsenal, and if the board are restricting the budget, he may be one to miss out on, but in all honesty, Dybala is a player of true quality who could certainly help Arsenal out. 


Now competing in Europe, he may be exactly what they need, adding both depth and quality to their squad.  


Image: Getty Images

Popular posts from this blog

What have we learned from Arsenal's pre-season so far?

Image
  Arsenal – what have we learned from pre-season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton It only feels five minutes since Euro 2020, but incredibly we are just one week away from the new Premier League season starting. Arsenal will travel to newly promoted Brentford for a London derby in front of a noisy crowd next Friday night, not the easiest of starts to the new campaign. But what sort of shape are Mikel Arteta’s side in, going into what could be a defining season for the manager? We took a close look at what we have learnt from the pre-season period and what kind of shape the squad are in.   The new signings are ready to go It has been a mixed transfer window so far. Some fans would have expected more both leaving and arriving at the Emirates stadium over the summer. But positives can be taken - Ben White has arrived from Brighton for £50million, and highly-rated full back Nuno Tavares has come in from Benfica. Albert Sambi Lokonga completes the 2021 summer singings so far. Cruc...
Read more

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves

Image
Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...
Read more

Where will Arsenal finish this season?

Image
Where will Arsenal finish this season? By Alec McQuarrie Arsenal have made steady improvement over the last few seasons under Mikel Arteta. After finishing 8th in his debut season, the Spaniard oversaw a five-point improvement in his first full campaign.  And last year an eight-point leap followed, which was unfortunately not enough to pip Tottenham to fourth place.  Cruelly, the 69 points accumulated would have been enough to seal Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.  Looking at the trajectory over the Arteta era, it would be fair to assume a continued improvement this coming season.  After all, with five signings already secured this summer and Alexandre Lacazette the sole first-team player to depart, surely fourth place should be a bare minimum expectation.  Oleksandr Zinchenko offers much-needed cover at left-back and competition for central midfield.  Gabriel Jesus is a proven goalscorer and brings a tireless work-ethic to fulfil...
Read more