Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly reignited their interest in Juventus forward Paulo Dybala.
Dybala, who almost signed for Spurs back in 2019, is out of contract with the Italian side at the end of the season and is free to discuss a pre-contract deal with European clubs this month. The former Palermo star almost became a Tottenham player in 2019, with Spurs agreeing a fee in the region of €75million (£69million) with the Old Lady for the Argentine, only for the transfer to fall through due to image rights issues.
The 28-year-old has suffered from various injury issues over the last few seasons, but remains a player of real talent and has scored 11 goals in 23 appearances in all competitions for the Italian giants so far this season, which has seen the forward linked with Spurs yet again in recent days.
So, what could happen if Tottenham eventually get their hands on Dybala this month?
We 'signed' Paulo Dybala for Tottenham in January 2022 to find out.
We 'signed' Paulo Dybala for Spurs in January 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Dybala to join Spurs in the January 2022 transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation.
This is what Dybala's player profile looks like on Football Manager 2022.
The Argentine is clearly a world-class attacking talent, with a variety of incredible attributes including dribbling, first touch, technique, vision, long shots, passing, balance, agility and more.
As you would expect, Dybala was a regular for Spurs under Conte, with the 28-year-old most often used as a centre-forward in a 3-5-2 formation, partnering either Harry Kane or Heung-min Son.
Dybala made 23 appearances in all competitions for Spurs after joining in January, with the Argentine scoring 14 goals and registering four assists. These stats are even more impressive when you consider that Dybala only started 16 of the 23 games he appeared in.
Son had a stunning campaign, scoring 35 goals for Conte's side, with Kane scoring 23.
Following the signing of Dybala, Spurs' Premier League performances and results were much improved, with Tottenham winning 13, drawing three and losing four of the next 20 Premier League games, seeing them reach a points tally of 75.
Spurs haven't reached that high a points tally since the 2017/18 season when they finished third under Mauricio Pochettino.
Conte's side had a stunning run at the end of the season, winning all five of their final five league games, which saw them leapfrog Arsenal and Manchester United into fourth place, securing Champions League football next season.
Spurs also did really well in the FA Cup, reaching the semi-final, but eventually lost out on a place in the final after coming up against Man City, with Spurs losing 3-2 to Pep Guardiola's side.
Overall, Football Manager 2022 predicts that the signing of Dybala could propel Spurs into the top four, with the Argentine's impressive quality and goal return helping the club secure Champions League football next season.
Would you like to see Dybala sign for Spurs? Let us know in the comments!
