Italian outlet Tuttosport has claimed that Tottenham are in talks with Juventus over a swap deal that would see Christian Eriksen leave north London and Paulo Dybala head in, and fans are torn but cautiously optimistic.
Tottenham were strongly linked with a move for Dybala in the summer, with the Independent reporting that a deal had been agreed for a player Mauricio Pochettino “is a huge fan of”.
However, they couldn’t get it over the line with complications arising over his image rights.
Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen was tipped for a move over the summer but stayed in north London. However, his contract expires at the end of the season and that means Tottenham only have the January window to get anything for a player who could leave for free next summer.
Swap deals are notoriously complicated to complete but this one does make sense, with 25-year-old Dybala offering back-up to Harry Kane as well as the versatility to play as a second striker or on the wing.
Some Tottenham fans would love to see Dybala arrive but were cautious about a deal like this coming off.
Here are the best reactions on Twitter:
— wotwitwotwotwow (@wotwitwotwotwow) September 11, 2019
tuttosport are as reliable as as lifeguard with ADD, but please be true
— B ? (@getchoboydawg) September 11, 2019
One fan said that Tuttosport aren’t the most reliable outlet for transfer news but hoped they were right on this occasion, saying, “Please be true”.
The next fan said that there were details of the swap deal that didn’t make sense. He said that if Juventus wanted Eriksen, they could sign him on a pre-contract in January and then get him for free in the summer.
That’s true but there are bound to be other clubs in for Eriksen in the summer as a free agent, and Barcelona and Real Madrid have also been strongly linked with him.
This deal would ensure Juventus get their man and get him six months earlier.
Surely they’d just get Eriksen to sign a pre contract and get him for nothing and then sell Dybala for £60m ???????????
— D (@wise0w1) September 11, 2019
Big fan of this, but it doesn’t make sense for Juve since they can get Eriksen for free in January.
— Manny (@Mannythfc) September 11, 2019
1 in 2 striker rate in serie a is top top class. I can’t think of anyone else in that category.
— Danny TTID B (@DannjwB) September 11, 2019
Dybala has scored 78 goals in 183 games for Juventus, not quite a one in two ratio, but not far off. However, he has had stellar seasons – 19 in 34 games in Serie A in the 15/16 season and 22 in 33 in the 17/18 season. They’re phenomenal numbers and prove that Dybala would be a better back-up for Kane than Fernando Llorente.
According to stats site WyScout, his xG is 0.36 per 90 minutes, which promises over a goal every 270 minutes, and he also adds 0.17 assists every 90 minutes with an impressive 83% pass success rate to the final third.
He would be a good signing for Tottenham that would address a real problem up front for Pochettino.
YESSSSSS
— Lou (@louiesearle_) September 11, 2019
Never going to happen. Why would eriksen agree to that and lose out on millions.
— K Wickham (@KenpWickham) September 11, 2019
https://twitter.com/DamienJose/status/1171833337654255617
I feel like we’re changing a diamond for a substitute ????
— Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (@Mig_A_Rodriguez) September 11, 2019
One fan isn’t convinced about the deal, though, saying “I feel like we’re changing a diamond for a substitute”. That fails to address the issue that Eriksen is soon out of contract and not looking like he’s going to sign a new deal.
If Eriksen is going to go, surely it’s better to get something for him? And if that something is Dybala, that would surely be a huge bonus. We don’t think the Argentine attacker would be a substitute in the current Tottenham side.
Sounds good to me.
— Nigel Wilkinson (@nigel_feelgood) September 11, 2019