Why Arsenal should take a punt on Paulo Dybala this month

As Arsenal's attacking woes worsen, here is why Arsenal should consider taking a punt on the signing of Paulo Dybala this January.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will be aware that Arsenal have endured a torrid run of form of late, and that has largely been due to the stagnation of our attack in recent weeks.

Having scored just once in our last three games, despite having created 6.47xG (expected goals) across these games, it is clearly a massive problem that is very quickly seeing our season unravel - especially with the club now out of both domestic cups.

Many fans, myself included, have called on the club to sign a striker in a bid to resolve this issue during the January transfer window, as we look to get our season back on track - but reported limited finances could make any such move difficult.

With that being said, Paulo Dybala is a player who I believe could prove to be an excellent January signing, and someone who may well propel our performances back to where we all want to see them - and this is why.

Why Arsenal should take a punt on Paulo Dybala this month

1. A realistic, and excellent value signing

Dybala has a release clause worth roughly £10.5m in his contract with AS Roma, which is an absolute bargain for a player of his quality.

Not only does this astronomically low fee represent great value for money, but it crucially represents a deal that we should comfortably be able to get over the line, if we want to, even with our reportedly limited budget in this transfer window.

Even his wages would likely be very achievable for Arsenal, given that he reportedly earns a modest £63k per week on his current deal - which would put him roughly on par salary-wise with what Jakub Kiwior and Cedric Soares reportedly make at the club.

So, based solely on the reported finances of a potential deal for Dybala, it looks like an absolute no-brainer to try to pull it off, even if it is a short-term option - given that he is 30 years old.

2. Age is no problem

Some people may be immediately put off after hearing that Dybala is 30, but that is not a reason to ignore him as a potential signing during the January transfer window.

Arsenal have already found value in older players during recent January transfer windows, like with the signings of Jorginho and Leandro Trossard last season, who were aged 31 and 28 at the time of their respective signings.

Despite reaching what many would consider to be the twilight years of his career, Dybala has shown no signs of a decline in ability - and remains an exciting attacking threat on the world's biggest stages, including the 2022 World Cup where he scored in the penalty shootout which saw his native Argentina become world champions.

Concerns over his age can be forgiven, but given that we could likely offer him a short-term contract (perhaps one or two years with the option of another) on a low wage compared to those already at the club, it is not something that concerns me in the slightest.

3. Excellent creative and attacking output

The Argentine forward has recorded 12 goal contributions in just 14 domestic appearances for AS Roma this season, which represents a significantly better attacking return than most of Arsenal's current attackers.

He offers an incredibly exciting option to link the midfield and wingers together while also offering a good goal threat, given that he has averaged a goal every 0.4 games in Serie A this season, as well as meeting his xG thus far.

In fact, compared to our current striking options, Dybala actually has more goal contributions (11) than Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah combined (10) in their respective leagues this season.

He is also used to high demands, having worked under Jose Mourinho, and would thrive in Arteta's system, in my opinion, and could quite conceivably transform our attack for the short-term at least, especially if he can stay fit for the majority of the season that remains.

There is no guarantee that his excellent output would translate into the Premier League, but the low costs associated with the possible deal certainly warrant us taking a punt on him.

Could injuries be a stumbling block?

We need to address the elephant in the room when it comes to Dybala, and that is his injury record.

Given that one of the reasons that we need to sign a striker is the lack of availability from the often-injured Jesus, it hardly makes sense to sign an injury-prone player in his place.

The Argentine's injury record does admittedly leave a lot to be desired, but we have already established that this signing would not be a guaranteed success but that, for the associated fee, it is a low/no risk option - which is entirely the case.

Dybala has missed 10 games through three separate injuries this season (as per TransferMarkt) but, if anything, this just makes his form between his various small injuries all the more impressive - given he has struggled to find consistent fitness.

It is also important to note that he has not had a serious injury (one where he has missed ten or more games in a single spell) since the 2020/21 season which, to me, suggests that his fitness could be well managed to avoid any real issue if he were to join the club.

There will be those of you who simply cannot look past his injury record, and I cannot say you are wrong, because it could well cause issues, but I strongly believe it is a small enough risk to make pursuing the deal still very worthwhile as I feel the pros far outweigh the injury risk - though I respect those who disagree.

Overall

Overall I feel as though Dybala would be an excellent signing for any top team operating with a limited budget, and one that I feel as though we should absolutely pursue if other targets, like Ivan Toney, prove unattainable in the January transfer window.

If our budget is indeed limited due to FFP (financial fair play) constraints, then this represents the perfect way for the Kroenkes and the board to back Arteta and set the club up for the best possible end to the season.

Even if it did prove to be a short-term option, until better targets become viable options for the club in the summer, the £10.5m fee means that there is virtually no risk in completing such a deal.