AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has compared forward Paulo Dybala’s impact at the Italian club to that of Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Dybala joined Roma on a free transfer last summer after leaving Juventus. He scored 18 goals and provided eight assists in 38 games across competitions, helping them qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
The Argentine forward has made three appearances across competitions this season but played just 161 minutes. Dybala has faced injury issues in the past and continues to struggle with full fitness.
Reflecting on the forward’s impact at Roma, Mourinho compared Dybala to PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva. But he added that he cannot play the Argentine consistently, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport:
“Paulo for us is like Bernardo Silva for City or Mbappé for PSG. He is a special player, but I can’t always use him. He needs to be managed and rested.”
He added:
“With Torino, I will start him from the beginning, but maybe I will have to remove him before the end because he will also have to play in the middle of the week against Genoa.”
Roma have had a tough start to the 2023-24 Serie A season as they sit in 12th place with just one win in four games, apart from one draw and two defeats. They will next face Torino away on Sunday (September 24) before clashing against Genoa four days later.
PSG star believes Kylian Mbappe deserves to win 2023 Ballon d’Or
Defender Achraf Hakimi has claimed that Kylian Mbappe deserves the 2023 Ballon d’Or over Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
Mbappe scored 41 goals and provided 10 assists in 43 games across competitions for PSG last season, helping them win the Ligue 1 title. He also won the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with eight goals for France, including a hat-trick in the final.
In a recent interview with beIN Sports France, Hakimi said that Kylian Mbappe deserves to win the Ballon d’Or this year:
“Compared to what he did this last year, for me, he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. He’s a great player and I hope he can win it this year.”
It appears unlikely that Mbappe win the Ballon d’Or over Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland.
Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy by beating Kylian Mbappe’s France in the final. He scored 21 goals and provided 20 assists in 41 games for PSG, helping them to the Ligue 1 title.
Haaland, meanwhile, won the treble with Manchester City, registering 52 goals and nine assists in 53 games across competitions
