Paulo Dybala is edging towards the end of his European chapter. This time, it feels definitive.
According to transfer journalist César Luis Merlo, the 32-year-old is unlikely to stay on the continent beyond this season. His contract at AS Roma is running down after four years in the capital, and with no talks currently taking place between club and player, the writing is all over the Trigoria walls. Only a miracle keeps him in Rome now.
South American Interests
Two powerful forces are pulling at him from South America.
On one side stands Flamengo, armed with money and ambition. The Brazilian giants are preparing a lucrative contract to tempt the left-footed forward to Rio de Janeiro. They have shown before they are not afraid to spend: last winter they laid out €42 million to prise Lucas Paquetá from West Ham United. If Dybala wants a heavyweight salary and a team built to win immediately, Flamengo can make that happen.
On the other side is Boca Juniors, offering something Flamengo cannot buy.
La Bombonera is selling a story. Boca believe they have a genuine shot at bringing Dybala home on the back of a romantic narrative: after fourteen seasons away, the boy who became a world star in Europe returning to Argentina. He has already worn his country’s shirt forty times; the idea of closing the circle where it all began has serious emotional pull.
Career Statistics
The numbers he leaves behind in Rome underline what any suitor is getting. Since arriving at Roma, Dybala has played 135 official matches, scoring 45 goals and delivering 26 assists. When fit, he has been the creative heartbeat, the left foot that changes games, the player who lights up tight nights at the Olimpico. His last international appearance came in 2024, yet he remains a marquee name, a guaranteed headline.
Roma, though, are bracing for life without him. With his deal expiring and no extension on the horizon, Dybala is about to hit the market as a free agent. For a player still capable of deciding big matches, that status alone will spark a scramble.
Potential Moves
If the pull of South America does not win out immediately, another route lies open.
The Süper Lig is circling. Clubs such as Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe can offer a passionate stage, European football, and, crucially, a salary in line with his current earnings of around €8 million per year. A move to Turkey would keep him in Europe’s shop window without forcing a pay cut, a halfway house between the comfort of the familiar and the lure of home.
So Dybala stands between three powerful temptations: Flamengo’s financial muscle, Boca’s emotional homecoming, and Turkey’s well-funded fervour.
One decision will define the final act of his career.
