Paulo Dybala, or “La Joya,” is a name recognizable to all who follow football. The Argentine, during his time at Juventus, had the potential to be one of the best players in the last 10 years. However, injuries and other players such as Ronaldo having the spotlight meant that Dybala never reached the heights he promised.

Nevertheless, Dybala has re-earned his “jewel” nickname in recent times. Dybala moved away from Juventus in 2022 to Roma, and since then he has been the shining star, recording 32 goals and 15 assists in just 66 games. He was crucial to Roma’s Europa League run to the final last year, as he is this year, as Roma under De Rossi looking to be the tournament’s dark horses against the likes of Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen.

Before De Rossi’s arrival, Dybala was the main outlet in Mourinho’s back 5 system, which allowed him freedom up the park to be the side’s main man—a role in which he flourished. Since De Rossi’s appointment, the Roma legend has adopted a system that allows Dybala complete positional freedom, as well as giving Dybala the reins to play as he pleases. This is something I discussed in detail in my analysis of Rome here.

This season, Dybala has also formed a partnership with Chelsea Loanee Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku, this season, has once again revived his career with a move to Italy, with his £100 million transfer to Chelsea being a disaster for all parties. Lukaku and Dybala have complemented each other superbly this season, with Lukaku’s excellent hold-up play, strength, and positional play complementing the way Dybala plays as a second striker. The two have combined on 6 occasions, as well as recording numerous goal contributions from other teammates, such as captain Lorenzo Pellegrini.

Dybala’s career has always been overlooked—he had the trajectory to be the best in the world but stuttered on the international stage, as Argentina’s golden forward era with Messi, Aguero, Higuain, and Di Maria were all preferred to Dybala. In Italy too, Dybala’s performances were often overshadowed by stars such as Pogba and Ronaldo, despite hauling Juventus over the line to secure a Scudetto in 2018, recording 22 goals.

Dybala has never received the plaudits he deserved. Over the last 10 years, he’s been one of the most exciting and technically best players in Europe. However, injuries have held him back, already missing 9 games this season. However, as he approaches the end of his second season in Rome, at only 30 years old, the Argentine seems to have found his feet once again, and he will be looking to star under De Rossi for the coming years. That being said, fans of Giallorossi will be nervous, as Fabrizio Romano reported that Dybala has a 12 million Euro release clause. This clause, as well as Dybala’s high wages, means that Saudi clubs have been linked numerous times. However, Dybala is clearly loving life in Rome, and with the team turning around a disastrous start, the sky is once again the limit for where Dybala’s level can reach.