Opinion: Why Spurs signing Paulo Dybala would be a statement of intent

It is uncommon for a side like Tottenham Hotspur to make regular marquee signings in the summer transfer windows.

Chairman Daniel Levy has always been an advocate of developing youth players and exploring their potential. You only need look at what has happened with Harry Kane.

However, Spurs’ latest struggles have highlighted the need for experienced, already developed players. This largely refers to the defensive line at the North London club.

Spurs have given up 15 points from winning positions this season and conceded nine goals from winning positions in the last ten minutes of the game (planetfootball).

Whilst there is rightfully a focus on recruiting defensive reinforcements at the club, there are also attacking areas of the squad that would benefit from a reshuffle.

One of the names that has been regularly linked with Spurs is that of Paulo Dybala. The Argentinian forward has just one year left on his contract at Juventus, therefore, could be available for a reduced fee this summer.

It is known that former boss Mauricio Pochettino was on the verge of bringing the 27-year-old to the club in 2019. However, issues over the player’s image rights saw the move break down at the last minute, leaving many fans frustrated.

With the club’s ambitions currently outweighing the ability of the squad available to Mourinho, we could and should see a rebuild at Hotspur way over the summer.

Should Spurs fail to win their upcoming Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, or be unsuccessful in securing European Qualification, Mourinho would surely be sacked.

This would open the door for an up-and-coming manager such as Julien Nagelsmann to enter the fray.

As part of this rebuild, several long-serving players could be shipped out of London. This would accumulate a sizeable transfer fund for the Spurs to play with.

Should this be the case, Levy may see fit to invest this in a marquee signing for multiple reasons.

Firstly, this would ease the pressure from fans following this prolonged period of decline in the current squad. There is a real chance that Spurs will miss out on Champions League football for two seasons in a row. This has not happened for nearly 7 years, dating back to the 2013/14 season.

Continuously, it is evident that there is a lack of quality in the Spurs squad. If the chairman hopes to fill his stadium each week, he needs players in the squad that will excite those watching.

Dybala would certainly be one of those. Valued at £54million, Dybala has more than proven his worth during his time at the Serie A champions (transfermrkt). What will appeal to the Spurs board is the fact that his market value has significantly decreased since 2018.

During this time, he was valued at around £99million (transfermrkt). At half of this, Levy would surely be intrigued and open to doing business with the Old Lady.

Considerably, Dybala breached lockdown protocols in Italy recently. This has led to his suspension from the Juventus squad which could affect his market value further.

The 2017/18 season saw Dybala bag 26 goals and 7 assists in all competitions (transfermrkt). If he were to replicate those numbers in Spurs colours, he would undoubtedly be an instant hit.

When talking about intent, a signing of this calibre would instantly improve the squad. Should he replace Erik Lamela, or Dele, there is an added threat to our attacking play. Add in a new midfielder alongside a central defender, and Spurs’ fortunes could change.

As well as this, it would remove pressure from the shoulders of Harry Kane. By embedding a character such as Dybala into the starting XI, it adds options around the England captain. This would see less reliance and strain on his individual performance.

To conclude, the signing of Paulo Dybala would not be sufficient on its own to transform this current Spurs squad. However, it would address an area that is in need of a transformation.

Furthermore, a signing of this magnitude would send a message to the fans. Anger often circulates amongst the Spurs faithful due to the lack of ambition shown by the board. Should someone like Dybala come in, that pressure may ease slightly.

Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that Levy has never spent big, so why would that change now? Add the complications of COVID-19, and that suggests that a marquee signing is more fantasy than reality.

Expectedly, Levy will try and squeeze out some bargain deals, something that has become the repetitive nature of his dealings at the club.

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