For some he is a rebus, for Gasperini he must be a work to be deciphered with patience. Paulo Dybala, the purest talent on the Giallorossi roster, presents himself to the new cycle as a fascinating bet: fragile physique, unquestionable quality, role all to be defined. But for Roma’s changing skin, the Joya can still be the pivot around which to build an ambitious team.
The idea is there: to turn Dybala into a sort of “new Papu Gomez,” an anarchic and brilliant trequartista who has license to strike without too many defensive obligations. This is a luxury Gasperini has allowed before, but he will have to balance it with the intensity his soccer demands. Dybala is not a marathon runner and will not become one. But if he can handle the loads, he can be a lethal weapon in Gasperini’s 3-4-2-1.
The Argentine is currently working to recover from the injury that compromised his final season. The goal is to be there already for the summer training camp, although probably not from the start. Gasperini’s training rhythms are no picnic and it will be difficult to see him as a starter right away. More likely is a gradual insertion, perhaps starting from the bench in the first matches between August and September.
There is a real relationship between the two: it was Gasperini himself who launched Dybala in Serie A in his Palermo days. And Paulo, for his part, reiterated his desire to stay at Roma: “I hope to stay here. If the club wants it, I am happy.” If anything, the problem is contractual: the automatic extension until 2026 needs to be revised in its economic content, because the 7 million net weighs. But the central issue remains technical. And Gasp will have to decide: how much is he willing to sacrifice of his system in order to keep the best talent at his disposal?
