Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is not convinced signing Paulo Dybala from Juventus would have been good business for the club.
According to Goal, the Red Devils attempted to negotiate a swap deal for Dybala towards the end of the summer transfer window, with Romelu Lukaku to be sent in the opposite direction.
The report states the Argentine midfielder ultimately decided against the move, opting to stay in Turin for another year despite also emerging as a target for Tottenham.
Lukaku eventually ended up joining Inter Milan and United neglected to bring in a replacement, concluding their business in the market by signing £80 million defender Harry Maguire – as per the Independent.
Berbatov, who played at Old Trafford between 2008 and 2012, has hinted that his old club are better off without Dybala, insisting that he cannot see “where he’d fit” in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s line up.
“It’s difficult to see where he [would] fit,” the Bulgarian told the Daily Star.
“He’s got a great left foot with good vision. The only thing I’d worry about is if he can get used to the English way of playing football.
“It’s interesting to see what will happen.”
Berbatov went on to explain why Dybala’s arrival could have had a negative impact on the team, adding: “When you have quality players, it’s a luxury to know that if one gets injured you have a great one who can come in.
“But that’s not good for the players themselves. They’ll be moaning and not happy, so you have to be careful who you buy.”
Transfermarkt states that the Juventus star is currently worth around £77 million, despite the fact the 2018-19 campaign was his least productive yet at the Allianz Stadium.
Dybala only managed to score five goals in 30 Serie A games, struggling to convince in a new role after the arrival of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, United identified him as a target because he could easily rediscover his best form in a number 10 role, which would grant him the freedom to express himself on the pitch once again.
Solskjaer’s side won their first Premier League game of the new season 4-0 at home to Chelsea, which suggests they’ll do just fine without Dybala, but it certainly would have been interesting to see him undertaking a new challenge in English football.
