Arsenal are perennially linked to Europe’s most promising talent. Arsène Wenger’s much-praised, yet oft-criticised, preference of signing young prospects over ready-made stars has ensured that Arsenal Football Club will always be one of the first names mentioned as potential suitors when a youngster strings together a series of good performances. This season has been no different, as exhibited by the rise of Palermo’s exciting forward-cum-playmaker, Paulo Dybala.
The 21-year-old, pocket-sized Argentine has found a firm footing on the Isles of Sicily, scoring 12 goals and making a further seven for Palermo in this season’s Serie ‘A’. Relatively fleeting reports – emanating from both Italy and England – have linked Arsenal to Dybala throughout the season, but Mauro Zamperini, Palermo’s infamous club president, has substantiated those reports somewhat in the past twenty-four hours.
“Juventus and Arsenal have already made bids [for Dybala],” he told Radio Marte. “The agent of the boy will be in Italy on Friday. My request [from clubs] is more than 40 million Euros.
Dybala would prefer to stay in Italy, but among the English clubs, Arsenal is his first choice for the boy for the way the team plays, coached by [Arsène] Wenger.“
As with most transfer-related news from Italy, a sizeable pinch of salt should accompany these quotes from Palermo’s president, Zamperini. His controversial standpoints on issues, hasty managerial sackings and general idiocy has formed somewhat of an unfaithful stigma for himself and his club. Doubts should linger due to the entirely plausible, and very common, scenario that he is utilising Arsène Wenger’s good judgement of young players to drum up interest in Dybala.
On Thursday, April second, Arsène Wenger was pressed about the reported bid for Dybala – by journalists at his press conference prior to the weekend’s Liverpool game – and replied:-
“Ask him [the Palermo president] to show you the offer. [There is no interest], not at all.”
Despite the rumours pitfalls, of which there are many, there is still a plausible possibility that Arsenal’s interest in Paulo Dybala is genuine. He is an offensive midfielder who possesses attributes which Arsène Wenger typically loves: good technical ability, deceiving pace, balance, a fine left-foot and he scores goals. Theo Walcott’s struggles both on the pitch and contractually means that Arsène Wenger will likely be in the market for a wide, creative forward-type this summer – it could be Paulo Dybala.
