It’s not easy nowadays being an Argentine striker, competition is fierce to say the least for a spot in the national team.
Across the entire continent of Europe Argentine strikers are leading the way in their respective leagues, none more so than in Serie A.
Gonzalo Higuain currently leads the goalscorers charts with 14, but it is his 22-year-old countryman Paulo Dybala who is really catching the eye of European football’s most elite.
Lionel Messi is among his most notable admirers, recently stating that Dybala has a bright future ahead of him and will be the future of Argentine football.
Dybala first burst onto the scene last campaign by scoring 13 goals and providing 10 assists for Sicilian side Palermo. The Argentine was then purchased by Juventus for a fee of €32 million.
The Turin-based club’s investment in the prodigy outlines the belief they have in his potential to become one of the world’s best, a belief that is shared by a growing number of onlookers.
Dybala was one of a few quality players brought in over the summer to replace the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and most notably Carlos Tevez, who inspired Juventus to a league and cup double last season.
Based on the side’s early season results it seemed that the hole left behind by Tevez would be too large to fill, however unlike the other new signings Dybala settled in quickly and showed that he is truly worthy of wearing the black and white stripes of Juventus.
Juventus started Serie A with one of their worst starts in history. Despite the team’s early season shortcomings, Dybala’s performances were always a diamond in the rough. He was striving to prove himself not only to the Juventus faithful but to the team’s head coach Max Allegri, who at times questioned the 22-year-old’s mental toughness.
The Argentine has also shown that he not afraid to express himself on the pitch regardless of the occasion. His ability to dribble, coupled with his clinical left-footed finishing and ability to read the game show that Dybala has the characteristics to reach the level of his countrymen, be it Higuain, Sergio Aguero or even the seemingly incomparable Messi.
To date, Dybala has eight goals in Serie A, including strikes against Roma, Milan and most recently Fiorentina.
Juventus have managed to build some momentum as Italian football prepares to pause for the winter break. They have now risen to fourth on the table and secured qualification for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, a competition in which Dybala is yet to score in.
Dybala is at a crucial point in his career, where if he is to truly fulfil his potential he must transition from a prodigy to a world-class professional. Luckily for him he is in the right place to develop his skills alongside other developing stars such as Paul Pogba and Alvaro Morata who are also under the age of 25.
If Dybala can maintain his current form with Juventus and cement his place in the Argentine national team then there is nothing preventing him from becoming Juventus’ and Argentina’s next No.10. Like Pogba, Juventus must do all they can to hang on to this prestigious talent.
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