Serie A icon Paulo Dybala accepts STAGGERING €75m Saudi move

Tom Weber

Updated: 21 Aug 2024 18:38 BST
3 min read

Paulo Dybala has accepted Al-Qadsiah's astronomical contract offer, according to Italian media.

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The worst fears of Roma fans appear to have come true. Star forward Paulo Dybala has given the green light to a lucrative Saudi switch that will see him earn a staggering €75 million across three seasons.

According to Di Marzio, the Argentine has assented to a move to promoted Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Qadsiah, who have already signed former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well as Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez.

The time it took Dybala to arrive at this decision had given Roma supporters hope that the Serie A icon would remain at the club, but if the above-mentioned report is to be believed, this is not the case.

Dybala's strange move

Despite the player agreeing to the move, the deal to bring Dybala to the Middle East is far from done. The attacker is still under contract in Rome until next year, so his club will be due compensation.

Strangely, the money on the table is significantly lower than Dybala's now-expired release clause, which stood at €12m for non-Italian clubs and made him potentially one of the bargains of the transfer window.

Now, Roma have reportedly been offered just €3m for the 30-year-old. Dybala himself had hoped to remain in Europe and play Champions League football. A move to the Premier League would have appealed to him but no club chose to trigger his release clause.

Dybala currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €17m, so Roma are being heavily lowballed by Al-Qadsiah. The former Palermo and Juventus star has notched an impressive 34 goals and 18 assists in 78 games for Roma.

The Argentine was tentatively linked with Chelsea in January and last year due to Mauricio Pochettino's presence at the club. The coach, who departed Stamford Bridge earlier this summer, is a known admirer of his compatriot and tried to sign him for previous clubs.