Chelsea have opened talks with the representatives of Paulo Dybala to discuss a sensational move for the AS Roma star as Mauricio Pochettino looks to seal a cut-price move. Reports suggest the new Blues head coach is keen to bring his compatriot to Stamford Bridge and the Premier League club have began negotiations after learning of a bargain release clause written into his contract at the Stadio Olimpico.
The 29-year-old signed for the Serie A outfit on a free transfer after leaving Juventus last summer and he enjoyed a stellar campaign with the Giallorossi, scoring 17 goals in all competitions as Roma reached the Europa League final before their defeat to Sevilla.
Dybala has been linked with a move away from the Italian giants, however, due to the fact that a release clause in his contract allows him to leave Roma for just £10.6million in the event that a foreign club makes an offer.
And according to transfer reporter Pedro Almeida, Chelsea have ‘made contact’ with Dybala’s agent to discuss a potential move to west London as they look to take full advantage of the rare bargain.
The move is likely to be driven by Pochettino as the 51-year-old has tried to sign Dybala twice in his managerial when at Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
And now, with the Argentina international available for such a low fee, he could finally get his man as Chelsea look to spend some of the £200m raised through player sales this summer.
Dybala, whose contract expires in June 2025, has been coy over his plans for the future and refused to be drawn on whether he would be at Roma beyond the summer transfer window.
When quizzed after sealing Roma’s place in the Europa League with a 2-1 win over Spezia, he told reporters: “Now we must enjoy the moment. There will be time to talk about the future, I have two years left in my contract.”
Chelsea confirmed the departure of Mason Mount in a £60m deal to Manchester United on Wednesday, having already sold Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic to Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester City respectively.
In addition, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly have opted to head to the Saudi Pro League after securing lucrative deals with Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal.
And that will allow Pochettino the freedom to spend in the transfer market to secure his main targets, with Moises Caicedo, Gabriel Veiga and Diogo Costa on his shortlist.
But Dybala would represent the marquee signing the Blues have been waiting for, and Pochettino will be eager to get the deal over the line after overseeing a player exodus at Stamford Bridge.
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