Arsenal will be encouraged by their form in the second half of the season, with a superstar signing or two this summer having the potential to turn the Gunners into real contenders next term.
Of the many players linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, one of the most exciting is Palermo attacker Paulo Dybala.
The Argentine hotshot has lit up Serie A this term with his shows of individualism and goals, with the Stadio Renzo Barbera outfit resigned to losing their prize asset this summer.
In the latest twists in the saga over the 21-year-old’s future, both Dybala and Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini have commented on where the striker will play his football in 2015-16.
The outspoken Zamparini has confirmed that Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in signing the South American at the end of the current campaign and have already bid for the superstar.
“Dybala isn’t Aguero, but the new Messi. He’s not a pure striker, but like Messi, he can move around any area of the pitch,” the Sicilian chief told Canal Plus.
“Will he stay? No, because the player and his agent want to go to a big club, and they’re right to want that.
“I’ve already received at least four offers. Two from Italy and two from overseas. Amongst them, Juventus and Arsenal.”
Meanwhile, despite Zamparini confirming the Gunners’ interest in Dybala, the attacker himself has stated that he prefers a move within Serie A and it seems like he is touting himself for a move to Juve.
“I love Italy. This is the country that made me famous and I would love to stay in Serie A,” Dybala is quoted as saying by The Daily Mail.
“There are some big teams out there who don’t play in Champions League and I can’t deny that I’d love to play in Europe’s most prestigious competition.
“It’s a lot easier for a striker when you have a playmaker like Pirlo behind you. He makes even the most difficult things look easy.”
Realistically, Arsenal have the spending power to bring him to North London, but where would Dybala fit in at the club?
The Argentine has made his name as a number nine, playing on the shoulder of the opposition’s backline and as a focal point for the Palermo attack.
In this role he has linked-up sublimely with Franco Vazquez this season for the Rosanero, with a similar bond between Dybala and Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez a mouth-watering proposition.
However, given the presence of Olivier Giroud in Arsene Wenger’s squad, signing Dybala would potentially signify a change in tact from the Emirates Stadium outfit.
Despite the Arsenal mentality of getting the ball down and playing, the burly French striker has offered the Premier League side a physicality and aerial threat in their team that has been lacking at times in the past.
Giroud is seemingly finally finding his feet in England, with the former Montpellier forward scoring goals at will over the last couple of months.
Replacing the France international with Dybala would negate the progress he had made, while also removing the physical presence that Giroud offers.
Playing Dyabla in a withdrawn role or out wide would potentially be a waste of resources and as such the Gunners must think carefully about just where this ‘new Messi’ fits into their future planning.
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