Roma forward Paulo Dybala has stated that he has no desire to join Chelsea this summer.
Argentina international abandoned his long affiliation with Juventus in 2022 to join Stadio Olimpico on a free transfer.
Dybala had a good campaign, scoring 18 goals and providing eight assists in 38 games across all competitions.
However, Roma finished sixth in Serie A and lost the Europa League final on penalties to Sevilla, preventing them from qualifying for the Champions League.
While there had been no sign that the 29-year-old was thinking about changing clubs, the release clauses in his contract ensured that conjecture would arise anyway.
Although Italian clubs would have to spend more to obtain a player from their competitors, international clubs have been able to pay €12 million (£10.26 million) for the versatile attacker.
This has led to significant links with Chelsea, who, in addition to needing more players in the final third, now have a head coach in Mauricio Pochettino who is a fan of his compatriot.
Nonetheless, Dybala has spoken out against rumours tying him to a move to the Premier League, stating that he prefers to stay in the Italian city.
Dybala on staying at Roma
Speaking to LaRoma24, Dybala said:
“I’m motivated for pre-season, which we’re starting [on Monday]. My future? I’m happy at Roma. I’m staying here.”
Dybala’s words will come as a major relief to Jose Mourinho, who is working under FFP constraints and has already lost Tammy Abraham for the first half of the season owing to a catastrophic knee injury.
Despite the arrivals of Evan Ndicka, Diego Llorente, and Houssem Aouar, Mourinho has yet to bolster his midfield.
Chelsea would have considered buying Dybala as a possible opportunity at a time when they already have six established options in the final third ahead of a season without continental action.
Pochettino presently has Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, and Armando Broja at his disposal.
For more Sports updates please follow us on Twitter
