Paulo Dybala rejected an offer to rejoin Palermo, according to reports emerging from Italy, as the Sicilian club prepares for another Serie A promotion push. Palermo’s sporting director, Carlo Osti, reportedly contacted Roma’s Ricky Massara to inquire about the availability of Dybala, who first gained prominence in Italy with Palermo before moving to Juventus. While Dybala expressed his continued affection for the club and city, he ultimately opted to renew his contract with Roma on more favorable terms.
This attempt to sign Dybala, though unsuccessful, highlights Palermo’s ambition under the ownership of City Group. After four failed attempts and two playoff semi-final defeats, the club is determined to reach Serie A, and City Group remains committed to the project, providing continued investment. They have retained coach Filippo Inzaghi, who arrived with a wave of enthusiasm following his promotion with Pisa.
Inzaghi is planning a tactical shift for the upcoming season, moving from the 3-4-2-1 formation used previously to a more attacking 4-2-3-1 system. This change is intended to provide more support for striker Joel Pohjanpalo, who was the team’s top scorer with 24 league goals last season, but whose goal tally represented a disproportionate share of the team’s overall offensive output. The new formation will require additional attacking midfielders to operate behind Pohjanpalo.
Palermo is also working to reshape its squad, with several players potentially on the move. The club will attempt to sell players like Gyasi and Vasic, while also considering offers for Corona, who did not receive sufficient playing time alongside Pohjanpalo. They will offer a contract extension to goalkeeper Joronen, while assessing the futures of other players whose contracts are expiring. The focus will be on bringing in younger players to inject more energy and creativity into the team. The club needs to find at least two new players to fill the trequartista role and contribute around ten goals each. Liberali of Catanzaro is a player of interest, though acquiring him may prove difficult.
