As one of the best coaches of his era, it should come as no surprise that Jose Mourinho has high ambitions. The Portuguese tactician has long been lauded as one of the best in the football world. However, the decade or so since his exit from Real Madrid has been less kind than many would have expected. Quick spells in England with Chelsea, Manchester United and then Tottenham means the ‘Special One’ is unlikely to ever return to English shores.
In his new role at AS Roma, though, Mourinho has found an energising and exciting challenge. The former Porto coach was seen in tears as he saluted the Roma fans after his Giallorossi side reached the Final of the UEFA Conference League. Buoyed by the connection to the fanbase and the esteem he is held in by ownership, though, Mourinho has reportedly made some very ambitious transfer demands.
Chief among those demands is that Roma move heaven and earth to land Paulo Dybala. The Argentine is set to leave Juventus on a free, and Mourinho wants Roma to break the bank to land La Joya. Bringing him to Rome would be a unique statement of intent, and would give Mourinho the ideal forward partner to pair-up with Tammy Abraham.
While it might be hard to imagine La Joya moving to a non-Champions League contender, it could happen. Roma are believed to be keen to go all-out and to break the wage structure as a show of faith in Mourinho. Dybala would, as he did in Juventus when he first arrived, become the face of an exciting new era for the club.
The deal would likely require huge investment from the Friedkin Group to make possible. Reports suggest, though, that Mourinho wants his team to at least try.
Francesco Totti to lead charm offensive?
For fans of modern Italian football, few names represent the league better than Francesco Totti. The one-club man retired without wearing the shirt of another team, becoming an essential part of the Roma project. For many, he is Roma. Therefore, the fact he is spending much of his time on social media liking Dybala-related content is quite interesting.
Though many teams would love to have Dybala, it is believed the player would prefer to stay in Italy. His previous desire was to stay in Turin, but the contract offer Juve offered him was taken off the table after disputes. While a move to the Milanese giants would make more sense, it is believed that neither club can fit the player into their current wage structure.
Roma would also struggle, but they are unlike the Milan clubs ready to start shedding their squad. Roma might look to make the squad less bloated and instead move on various talents who cannot live up to the expectation of a big club. Dybala can, and Roma are believed to see the huge investment that would be needed as worthwhile moving forward.
The challenge is huge to convince La Joya to move to Rome. If any coach can find the charisma to convince a marquee hire for an underdog, though, it is Mourinho.
