Amid the chaos surrounding Paulo Dybala’s possible departure from Roma, Wayne Girard argues that no player is bigger than the club and that Roma will be better off in the long run with their new young stars.

“Nobody is more important than Roma, that is crucial.” Daniele De Rossi told the press amid a flood of questions about Paulo Dybala’s future.

It couldn’t have come at a worse time for Roma. The season starts in less than 24 hours and La Joya’s time in the capital is over. This comes after a mega salary offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah, with a three-year contract worth around €60 million. That is generational money, a sum that few players could refuse for their families.

For the Giallorossi, this means not only that they will have to go out on the market again to find an attacker, but also that they will lose a player that their fans absolutely adore. He is arguably Roma’s second best player of all time and his shirt sales have even helped €1.5 million in the official club shops from his arrival in 2022 until the end of 2023. Now the streets of Rome are begging not to sell him, with banners across highways and graffiti in alleys. Social media would have you believe it’s Armageddon.

But Roma will get there. De Rossi subtly reminded the press that no player could ever be bigger than the club and made it clear that he is concerned that the situation could distract his players, urging them to focus on the game against Cagliari. You have to consider the full scope of last summer because, aside from Paulo’s transfers, Roma had a strong, top-heavy transfer market. Ironically, they were well-positioned in one position, namely creativity in the attacking third with Matías Soulé and Enzo Le Fée.

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The Roma legend and current manager mentioned that coaches tend to focus on certain statistics, referring to Soulé, who led Serie A in chance creation and successful dribbling last season. It will take some time for La Lupa fans to heal this open wound, but the 21-year-old will be a significant player. It’s far too early to even think about it, but the number 10 shirt is hanging around somewhere in Trigoria, just waiting for the right man fantastic. With a long-term contract and a big future ahead of him, it’s an idea worth considering at least. With a little more leg strength than Dybala, Soulé can help keep the team formation a little tighter and require fewer replacements from his team’s midfielder and right-back.

Although Dybala was supposed to play in the center, this was problematic for the same reason. Without possession, De Rossi would have had to withdraw an additional winger to cover the midfield, creating an imbalance in the organization of the module. Two deep-lying midfielders would be exposed to constant attacks without a more athletic personality at the top of their triangle. If he played as a false nine, there would hardly be a situation in which he would relegate star newcomer Artem Dovbyk to the bench.

When we look at these options, it is clear that Dybala’s tactical role in this team was not only not perfect, but also far from guaranteed given the new arrivals. Given that he only played in 57% of eligible games last season, being fit and healthy could affect his compatriot’s development and the overall chemistry of the attack.

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With a salary of around 15 eurosm gross this season, total 30 million euros over the next two years – that is a huge undertaking for a club that wants to consolidate its exorbitant salaries. This burden is too great for a team that must continue to work in the market and close glaring gaps.

Roma will do well without Dybala, maybe even better. This comment may have forced some readers to quickly leave this article, but De Rossi raised a point that all Romanisti should keep to themselves:

““24 months ago, a team sold Ruiz, Koulibaly, Mertens and Insigne and then won the Scudetto. I’m not saying that will happen to us, but I am saying that sometimes, even after losing strong players, teams regroup and win in unexpected ways.”