Arsenal favourites to sign Palermo’s Paulo Dybala

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has confirmed that Arsenal are one of two clubs to have made a bid for Argentine attacker Paulo Dybala, with Serie A rivals Juventus also tabling an offer.

“Juventus and Arsenal have already made offers for the boy,” Zamparini said.

“It hasn’t changed. Someone like Dybala cannot be worth less than €40 million. He would prefer to stay in Italy – he still wants to play in Serie A.

“Of the English clubs that have shown interest, though, Arsenal is his first choice because of the way [Arsene] Wenger makes his team play.”

It is thought that the Gunners, odds-on favourites at 4/5 with Coral to win the FA Cup, are keen to add another dimension to their attack, with last summer’s signings Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck having integrated into the team nicely this season.

The 21-year-old has scored 12 goals in 27 appearances in the league this term, contributing eight assists and Arsenal have scouted him extensively over the last couple of months. However, it is understood that an agreement is yet to be reached regarding a transfer fee.

Dybala is thought to be valued by Palermo at €40m, and, although Wenger has shown he has no problem spending a lot of money in the transfer market, Dybala is relatively unproven in Europe.

If a fee can’t be agreed, it may mean that Arsenal look elsewhere. Brazil played Chile at the Emirates recently, and undoubtedly Wenger will have been watching Sanchez closely, though his teammate, Charles Aranguiz has been quoted as saying that a move to the Gunners would be a dream.

There is no doubt that Wenger will have been impressed by Hoffenheim’s 23-year-old Brazilian Roberto Firmino after the player scored his country’s only goal after coming on as a second half substitute. Currently being converted into a ‘false nine’, he would be an ideal signing for Wenger, if Dybala’s move doesn’t materialise.