Six weeks of talks and one number nobody saw coming
Paulo Dybala has been through a nightmare campaign. A thigh tear from a free kick against Torino sidelined him first. Then the hamstring went, on a penalty against Milan. A knee problem, poorly handled by the Rome medical staff, finished off the picture. Conservative treatment failed and the Argentine went under the knife in March.
That run of injuries weighed heavily on his future. Several clubs kept tabs on him over the summer. Roma had to choose between sticking with their playmaker and facing up to the numbers for a 32-year-old who has spent far too much time in the treatment room.
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From 8 million to 2.2 million net
The talks dragged through most of the summer. Dybala has now signed a one-year extension and the price is brutal. His fixed wage drops from 8 million euros net to 2.2 million, close to a fourfold cut for a man who was among Serie A’s best-paid players only two seasons ago.
There is a catch. Heavy bonuses are tied to goals, assists and appearances. Every game he plays beyond 45 minutes is worth 100,000 euros. Get through a full season and the Argentine could end up the highest earner in the dressing room all over again.
Roma have moved the risk onto the player
The message from the board is not subtle. Dybala gets paid for what he delivers on the grass. The guaranteed money for a player who spends half a year injured is gone.
Both sides are gambling. The Giallorossi keep their best creator without wrecking the wage bill. Dybala puts his status back on the line at 32 and will need to string games together to climb back into his old bracket. His body decides that one.
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