Spanish media have revealed that Barcelona had not one but two clear chances to sign Paulo Dybala during the summer transfer window — yet walked away both times. Just two days before the deadline, with their pursuit of Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho falling through, Juventus once again offered Dybala to the Catalan giants. Still, Barcelona declined.
According to Spanish broadcaster La Sexta, Barcelona’s management was informed by Juventus that Dybala was not only available but also eager to join the club. A video call was arranged between Barça executives and their Juventus counterparts on August 17, during which Dybala’s agent confirmed the player’s strong interest in moving to Camp Nou. The reported price? €120 million — a figure Juventus was more than willing to accept.
At the time, Barcelona had yet to complete the signing of Ousmane Dembélé and had €222 million in their pockets from Neymar’s record-breaking transfer to PSG. Financially, the deal was well within reach. And yet, the club’s technical director, Robert Fernández, vetoed the move.
His reason? He believed Dybala and Lionel Messi couldn’t function effectively together on the pitch. Despite Dybala’s star power and playmaking ability, Fernández favored a move for Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Coutinho, seeing him as a better tactical fit alongside Messi.
As reported by Bangla Cricket Live, this decision proved to be a major turning point in Barcelona’s summer strategy. While Coutinho eventually joined the club later in the season, many fans and analysts have continued to wonder what could have been if Dybala had made the switch instead.
Bangla Cricket Live sources note that Juventus was genuinely open to the transfer and had greenlit the deal internally. Dybala, too, had made it clear through his agent that he viewed Barcelona as his ideal next step. In hindsight, it was an opportunity that slipped through the cracks — not for financial reasons, but purely because of sporting judgment.
Now, with Dybala remaining in Turin and continuing to shine, the missed connection between him and Camp Nou lingers as one of the more surprising “what ifs” of recent transfer windows.