Juventus great Gianluigi Buffon believes Paulo Dybala will benefit from joining Roma over Serie A rivals Inter.
Dybala had been strongly linked with a switch to San Siro after his contract with Juve, where he had spent the past seven seasons, expired.
However, Inter re-signed Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea. The Argentina international then had a choice between Napoli and Roma, eventually opting for the latter on a three-year deal.
Buffon spent five seasons playing on the same side as Dybala in Turin.
He feels his former colleague made the right decision.
Parma goalkeeper Buffon told La Gazzetta dello Sport:
“Paulo had the right to choose after his exit from Juventus on a free transfer.
“In the past few weeks, Dybala could have gone to Inter, Roma or Napoli.
“And I hoped he would have chosen either of the latter two. I expected it for his career.
“Paulo needed an emotional shock, and I was confident that only Roma and Napoli could have given that to him.
“I wrote it to him in a message, and I am happy to see him at Roma.”
Dybala has scored 103 goals in 299 outings in his decade in Serie A with Palermo and Juve, with the 22 goals he managed in the 2017-18 campaign his best single-season return.
The 28-year-old joins a Roma side that finished sixth last season but lifted the Europa Conference League trophy in Jose Mourinho’s first year at the helm.
That made Roma the first Italian side to win a major European competition since Inter triumphed in the Champions League in 2010 under Mourinho.
Dybala adds further depth to a squad that already contains the likes of Lorenzo Pellegrini and Tammy Abraham, who is delighted with the transfer coup.
“I think it’s a privilege to have added a good player to our team. It means a lot to the fans, who have received him very well,” Abraham said.
“The message appears clear to me: the club is creating a great project, and the results are clear.”
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