Not easy to say what went wrong with Paulo Dybala’s renewal, reveals Pavel Nedved

With Paulo Dybala thriving at Juventus, many expected the Argentine to see out the remainder of his career at the club especially after he entered the 2021/22 season with one year left on his contract. But while talks between the Old Lady and the forward continued, reports indicated that the two parties were far off from reaching an agreement. That was because Dybala reportedly wanted a hefty wage increase, something that Juventus were unwilling to hand it.

Things eventually reached a point where the two parties confirmed that no extension would be signed and thus Dybala would leave as a free-agent at the end of the 2021/22 season. It had many fans wondering why they struggled to reach an agreement and Pavel Nedved revealed that even he doesn’t know “what went wrong with his renewal”. The Juventus vice-president did admit that Dybala’s demands were high but the club “didn’t feel like it” and thus they ended talks.

"It's not easy to say what went wrong with his renewal. We evaluated him on all aspects, both on and off the pitch. His demands were very high and rightly so because he is a strong player. We didn't feel like it and therefore the roads parted,” Nedved told Sky Sports Italia.

With Dybala set to leave and having lost Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, it saw Juventus splurge during the 2022 January window as they spent €70 million on Dusan Vlahovic. The forward started superbly but has been on a dry run over the last four games but Nedved is confident that the club made the right decision and that the Serbian will eventually rediscover his form.

"Dusan got off to a very good start and everyone was thrilled. Then, there is not only the weight of the shirt but also natural fatigue. He had already done a lot in Florence, so he's probably physically tired. But for the way he trains, he should always be on the pitch: he is a man with a lot of will and we are very happy with him,” he added.