Paulo Dybala could be set to leave Juventus at the end of this season after reportedly failing to agree a new deal with the Italian giants. Dybala's contract with the Old Lady expires in June this year, with the Argentinian international set to become a free agent ahead of next season after joining the Serie A side from Palermo back in 2015.
Arsenal are reportedly one of the many interested parties queuing up to offer the 28-year-old a contract this summer according to multiple reports, with the Gunners' looking to strengthen in attack after the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and uncertainty over the future of both Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette, who are also out of contract in June 2022.
So, if Dybala were to make the move to Arsenal in the summer, what sort of impact could he have under Mikel Arteta? Could the Argentine attacker help the Gunners win silverware next season and close the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool? We simulated the 2022/23 season with Dybala in Arsenal's squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Paulo Dybala for Arsenal in July 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Dybala to join Arsenal at the start of the 2022/23 season, using FM22 to run the simulation. This is what Dybala's in-game profile looks like on FM22.
Paulo Dybala has ability to operate as a playmaker and striker due to his Technique (19), First Touch (19), Dribbling (18), Long Shots (18), Passing (17), Free Kick Taking (17), Penalty Taking (16) and Finishing (15), along with his brilliant Agility (16) and Balance (18). The 28-year-old can play anywhere in the attack, either as a lone striker, number 10 or wide. Let's take a look at how Dybala performed throughout the 2022/23 season after signing for Arsenal in July 2022.
The Argentine forward scored 26 goals and registered seven assists for the Gunners in his debut season, making 49 appearances in all competitions, in what was a sensational debut season at the Emirates. Dybala was the club's top scorer and matched Bukayo Saka's assist tally, whilst Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe both registered double figures for goals and assists.
The 28-year-old averaged a match rating of 7.32, suggesting that Dybala could become a consistent performer and key player under Mikel Arteta, with his match rating only being bettered by Saka (7.51), Gabriel Martinelli (7.43) and Odegaard (7.41).
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what the Gunners' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season, as predicted by Football Manager 2022.
Full Arsenal best XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli; Dybala.
Dybala became the Gunners' main striker as Alexandre Lacazette dropped to the bench after signing a new contract, whilst Nketiah left the club before the 2022/23 season. So, how did Arsenal perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Dybala at the start of the 2022/23 season?
Arsenal's results from the 2022/23 simulation
Arsenal finished third in the Premier League with Dybala in the squad, qualifying for the Champions League ahead of Manchester United and north London rivals Spurs.
The Gunners finished just six points shy of champions Man City, closing the gap to Pep Guardiola's side and Liverpool as Dybala, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka and Smith Rowe fired Arsenal up the table and into contention for the title. Compared to the 2020/21 season, Arsenal finished five positions higher with 22 more points and a better goal difference by +20 with Dybala in the squad.
Arsenal were knocked out in the Carabao Cup semi-finals after losing 2-0 at home to rivals Tottenham, but got their revenge when the two sides met in the Europa League final with the Gunners' running out 4-0 victors thanks to goals from Saka, Dybala, Partey and Xhaka. Arsenal dropped out of the Champions League in the group stages, hence their inclusion in the Europa League in this simulation.
In the FA Cup, Arteta's side suffered defeat to Manchester United in the fifth round and crashed out of the competition after a 2-1 loss at Old Trafford.
Overall, this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Paulo Dybala ahead of the 2022/23 season, the 28-year-old could potentially help the Gunners close the gap to both Liverpool and Manchester City, as put Arteta's side firmly among the Premier League title contenders.
Dybala led the line for Arsenal and helped Arteta's side secure Champions League football, as the Argentine forward struck up a solid relationship with Arsenal's young attacking quartet, also helping the club win their first piece of silverware since their FA Cup triumph in 2019/20.
Would you like to see Paulo Dybala sign for Arsenal? Let us know in the comments!
