Juve wants Paulo Dybala to stay as a "key player." IPA

Juventus hoping to lock down Paulo Dybala after Cristiano Ronaldo departure

By Erin Walsh | Last updated Sep 11, 2021 12:52 PM ET

Juventus are still recovering from the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, who rejoined Manchester United this summer. However, as they head into a new period without the Portuguese superstar, the club is looking to keep one player around as a key piece of its future.

According to Fabrizio Romano of Sky Sports, Paulo Dybala and Juventus will begin negotiating a new contract in the coming weeks. The club wants him to stay as a "key player."

Juventus post-Ronaldo plan includes Paulo Dybala new contract. He’s currently out of contract next June - dangerous situation to be fixed as soon as possible. ⚪️ #Juventus

Talks set to re-start with his agent Antún in the next weeks. Juventus want Dybala to stay as key player.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 11, 2021

However, Dybala's impact for Juventus has been minimal over the last few seasons due to injuries. He's also currently dealing with a small injury and will miss Juve's clash with Napoli this weekend.

Still, Dybala is a legitimate threat when healthy, so it's no surprise Juventus wants to keep him around. He had a career season in 2017-18, scoring 22 goals in 33 appearances, and already has a goal in two starts this year.

With Ronaldo gone, Dybala becomes an essential figure in Juve's attack. Without him, the club might be even worse off.

Juventus has yet to win a game this season, playing to a 2-2 draw with Udinese before falling 1-0 to Empoli. The club's attack has looked lifeless at times, but hopefully Dybala can help turn things around.

Erin Walsh

Erin Walsh is a Boston sports fan through and through. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bridgewater State University and currently is in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Journalism from Northeastern University. Follow her on X @ewalsh90.

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