Arsenal and Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Palermo attacker Paulo Dybala after he emphatically denied having an agreement in place to join Juventus at the end of the season.
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Palermo ready to sell Arsenal target Paulo Dybala to highest bidder
The Argentine is set to be auctioned off to the highest bidder this summer as he has little more than 12 months left on his contract and is unlikely to renew, given the amount of interest from top clubs which include the London heavyweights, according to Goal.com.
Dybala told La Repubblica that he was flattered to see Inter Milan head coach Roberto Mancini watch him in action, but was at pains to point out that no deal has been done with Juventus or any other teams, saying: “The only agreement I have is with Palermo. This is the only agreement I hold onto and which I aim to respect until the end.”
Should the 21-year-old end up joining Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, England international Theo Walcott could fall victim to the increase in competition for forward places. The 26-year-old has fallen down the pecking order and would be in further danger of isolation if fresh faces joined the squad.
Chelsea are arguably in more urgent need of a striker. Veteran targetman Didier Drogba is 37 and almost out of contract, while Diego Costa has been hampered by injuries during his debut season in English football, leaving only Loic Remy as a recognised alternative.