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We are back in 2017 and Paulo Dybala is at the peak of his powers at just 23 years old. Juventus are playing Barcelona and the Catalans won’t soon forget the date – April 11th – and neither will the young Argentine.
The players have barely warmed up properly when the seventh minute strikes and Dybala puts one effort past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to give the Old Lady an early lead.
But he didn’t stop there. Barely a quarter of an hour after that, a beautifully curled shot flies past the German once again to double the lead and Dybala’s tally on the night. He runs towards the crowd, half of his face covered by his signature mask celebration and eyes glistening with joy.
Needless to say, the papers went crazy: “Dybala inspires Juventus”, “Dybala upstages Messi”, “Dybala stars in Champions League quarter-final”. The world was at the Argentine’s feet, and for the first time after a long, long wait – another Guacho was in the spotlight other than Messi. And that was exactly what everyone thought Dybala’s career would look like: from being compared to Messi to maybe one day rivalling him, just as the headlines were prophesying back then in 2017.
And indeed, at that time, it seemed like a fairly easy prediction, especially after that huge game and even more so when he was handed the iconic number ten shirt, which insinuated that from hence on he would be the new face of Juventus. And he was, at least for a while. Following those same steps he took against Barcelona, Dybala continued in that trend, tallying 22 goals and five assists in the 2017/18 season for Juventus in a total of 33 Serie A appearances.
We all suspected that the game against Barcelona in the Champions League would be the beginning of something grand and compelling on a global scale, but practically no one thought it would be the beginning of the end for the Argentine. In fact, that was the absolute peak of his career, with a period of stagnation and arguably regression following on. From being the face of his club to being a player in the shadows, relegated to the supporting cast in the next chapter of Cristiano Ronaldo’s captivating career after he completed his £99.2m move from Real Madrid.
Suddenly the world had forgotten all about Dybala and, seemingly, so had Juventus. And thus, his numbers drastically dropped. A quick comparison of Dybala last two seasons tells the whole story. He played in a similar number of games yet his overall spark last season was merely a polite insight into the type of thundering talent he once was.
But alas, there is hope at the end of the tunnel. The world might have forgotten the Argentine, but his fellow compatriot and Tottenham Hotspur manager, Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t. Or so the latest reports would have us believe.
Spurs are still very much chasing Dybala and it would be easy to conclude, especially after acknowledging his relative downfall, that it is a fool’s errand for the London team. But there’s more to the coveted attacker than initially meets the eye.
Sure, judging by his numbers, the overall output of the Argentine has decreased. But his talent remains. He just lost the spotlight. And who can blame him?
After all, he lost it to arguably the most marketable player on the planet in Ronaldo. Of course, he would assume the role of the face of the team, even if it meant sacrificing Dybala in the process.
And that’s exactly what’s happened in Turin – Dybala was sacrificed to accommodate Ronaldo. The duo did start some games together and there were certain link-ups that made the Juventus fans hopeful they would turn into a formidable tandem. They combined to goal scoring effect on four separate occasions last season but it’s difficult to escape the feeling that Ronaldo’s arrival has somewhat taken the sting out of Dybala’s tail.
But why would Spurs even complete a £64.4m deal and what exactly would he bring to Pochettino’s squad?
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First of all, we already concluded that when the system suits him and when he is free to express himself, he can shine. A return of 22 goals in the 2017/18 campaign attests to that.
That potency arrived when he was deployed just behind the striker. A quick glance at Juventus’ prefered formations in that campaign reveals that 4-2-3-1 was indeed the most used system and Dybala was just behind Gonzalo Higuain.
In comes Ronaldo and the whole system changes. Now, the Bianconeri prefer the more traditional 4-3-3 and Dybala is relegated to the right-wing in an attacking trident. His form suddenly dips and so do the results. He lost his effect because he was played out of position, much like what happened to Philippe Coutinho when he swapped the Liverpool shirt for the Barcelona one.
But Pochettino’s Spurs are very much reliant on having versatile and oscillating attacking midfielders just behind Harry Kane, with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Lucas Moura often taking it in turns to operate in those space just in-front of the opponents defensive unit.
Tottenham predominantly used 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-2-1-2 systems throughout the 2018/19 campaign, though it was not uncommon for Pochettino to utilise a three or five at the back system, depending on personal interpretation.
Sure, Dybala would not necessarily be an automatic starter given Tottenham’s array of talented attacking midfielders, but the magnitude of the proposed deal doesn’t feel conducive to anything other than a major first team role for the masked assassin.
A quick look at the 25-year-old’s numbers compared to Eriksen’s prove that he just might prove to be a good replacement for the Dane if he leaves before the deadline. Sure, his final product is somewhat lacking when compared to the former Ajax playmaker but he makes up for it in key passes and shots per 90 minutes. And we know he can replicate those figures if deployed within his preferred role.
A strike team consisting of Kane, Dybala, Son Heung-Min and Lucas is indeed a rather frightening thought and something Spurs should aspire to cement in the final hours of the window.
Nothing is certain yet but with the deadline looming it would be wise of Daniel Levy to make that final push and ensure next season we see the strongest Spurs attack yet.
And then who knows, maybe Pochettino might win that elusive first trophy.
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