Roma and Argentine attacker Paulo Dybala has turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia to remain at Roma despite his recent deadlock.
The 30-year-old has been a hot topic in the rumour mills. Italian outlets reported that the player could leave Roma this summer following interest from Saudi clubs.
The former Juventus forward had a year left in his contract with Roma with no contract renewal talks to ascertain his future at the club; hence speculations were rife on his future at the club as the 2024-25 Serie A kicked off.
Meanwhile, ambitious Saudi club Al-Quadsiah, who recently secured the services of Real Madrid legend Nacho Fernandez and Pierre-Emerick Aubamenyang, were reportedly hopeful of adding the prolific footballer to their squad options. Reports suggest Al-Quadsiah had tabled a lucrative contract offer worth £83million over three years for the player.
Paulo Dybala’s recent Roma deadlock
The uncertainties about the future of Paulo Dybala at Roma stemmed from his recent deadlock with the club. After an impressive 27 goal contributions in 28 Serie A games for the club last season, he seemed to have fallen off the pecking order under new manager Daniele De Rossi.
He has been frozen out of the first team, dropped from Roma Serie A opener against Cagliari, and was confirmed to be training separately. Ironically, while struggling for a place in Daniele De Rossi’s squad, a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia was on the table. So, it was widely thought he will take up the offer from Saudi Arabia and leave this summer.
However, in a shock move on his social media handle, the footballer turned down the lucrative offer, announcing his decision to continue with Roma. Posting footage of his performances for The Yellow and Reds, he wrote;
“Thank you, Rome…See you on Sunday.”
While the player sounded as if he has been restored to the club, it has yet to be determined whether he has settled with De Rossi. Nevertheless, it appears he could be back with the team on Sunday as he said when they take on Empoli in their second Serie A fixture.
Dybala’s Roma contract extension clause
According to reports, Dybala has an extension clause on his contract that could see him continue his career beyond the ongoing 2024-25 Serie A campaign.
Details of the clause, as revealed by Italian outlets, say the player will have his contract with Roma automatically extended if he makes an appearance in 15 competitive matches. Further details reveal he will be entitled to €7.5million bonus plus €2million as add-ons if he reaches the appearance benchmark.
Going by his previous stats with the club since joining from Juventus in 2022, Dybala is likely to ace through the benchmark if given a chance. He made 25 Serie A appearances for the club in his debut season, scoring 12 goals with six assists
In his second season, he made 28 Serie A appearances and increased his goal tally to 13 with nine assists. The scoring midfielder could prove a big asset for the Giallarossi in the ongoing 2024-25 season if given a chance.
