Juventus has put its best player up for sale to accommodate an aging Cristiano Ronaldo. That's a pretty stupid idea.
- Juventus has put Paolo Dybala, who was voted as Italy's best player last season, up for sale, according to 90 Minutes.
- Dybala, 26, was Juve's star man under Maurizio Sarri last term, however after Sarri was sacked, Cristiano Ronaldo will again take center stage at the expense of the Argentine.
- Ronaldo, 35, has made it clear of his intention to remain in Turin, meaning there is no longer a place for Dybala financially, or on the pitch under new manager Andrea Pirlo.
- Ronaldo may be a global superstar and one of the greatest of all-time, but he's past his prime. Dybala is the future, and selling him seems a foolish move.
Juventus has reportedly but its best player up for sale. And no, it's not Cristiano Ronaldo.
Paolo Dybala, 26, was named the Serie A Player of the Year following his performances for Juventus last season, which saw him contribute an impressive 11 goals and 11 assists in 33 top flight games to help The Old Lady lift its ninth straight Scudetto.
Playing either in behind Ronaldo or on the wing, the silky Argentine playmaker was the pivotal cog in Maurizio Sarri's technical machine, often proving the key to unlocking opponent's defences.
He also came through when it mattered most: scoring a vital winning goal against AC Milan in November; grabbing a game winning pair of assists against AS Roma in December; and five goals in the first five matches after the league resumed in March.
Sarri, who has since been fired and replaced by Andrea Pirlo, called him "world class" according to Bleacher Report, while teammate Douglas Costa called him "the best player in Juventus."
All that, however, and Dybala has been told he is free to leave Turin this summer, according to 90 Minutes.
Why would Juventus sell its best player?
Ronaldo has generally always been the focal point of any team he has played for, whether it be Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, or the Portuguese national team. And for good reason.
The 35-year-old defied his age again last term, finishing the campaign as Juventus' top scorer with 37 goals in all competitions, a return which means he has now scored an astonishing 755 career goals for club and country, just 12 short of Brazilian legend Pele's record.
Despite his goal tally however, Ronaldo wasn't Juventus' MVP, nor the player Sarri built his team around.
That was Dybala.
"Dybala is a phenomenal player," Sarri said back in June, according to AS. "The point is to make him and Cristiano coexist on the field, because it is not easy to make them play together."
To make that happen, Sarri shifted Ronaldo into a centre forward position, away from his natural position out wide. According to Goal, it was a move that made Ronaldo extremely unhappy.
Earlier in the season after being substituted following a poor performance against AC Milan — in which Dybala scored the winner — Ronaldo walked off the pitch in a tantrum and left the stadium before the final whistle. During a match in June, he was filmed rolling his eyes and shaking his head at Sarri's instructions on the sideline.
Unfortunately for Sarri, it's Ronaldo's way, or the high way. He didn't agree, and paid the price.
With Sarri out the way, Ronaldo can again take center stage
Prior to Sarri's replacement, rumors were rife that Ronaldo was to leave Juventus for Paris Saint Germain or FC Barcelona, with the club reportedly keen to get him off the wage bill.
Within days of Pirlo being named Sarri's replacement however, the rumors were quashed, with sources close to Ronaldo revealing he intends to stay in Turin for the remainder of his contract.
With the 35-year-old earning $34 million in wages alone and with two years left on his deal, Juventus' financial eggs are now all in Ronaldo's basket, for better or for worse.
It is for that reason Pirlo has been appointed, according to ESPN's Gabriele Marcotti. Similar to the way Zinedine Zidane was tasked making Ronaldo his star at Real Madrid following a tough time under Rafael Benitez, Pirlo is expected to do the same.
At Madrid, it was the Gareth Bale who paid the price.
This time, it is Dybala who is the fall guy.
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