Chelsea are considering whether to trigger the release clause in Roma forward Paulo Dybala’s contract, according to TMW.

The Italian website claims the Blues have “identified” the Argentinian international as an option as they look to strengthen their numbers upfront.

Dybala‘s buyout fee is said to be as low as €12m (£10.3m) but it expires on January 15th so there isn’t a great deal of time to secure the player’s signature.

While the striker is now 30 years of age, he has had a decent season in front of goal, scoring 5 times in 13 Serie A appearances. He could, therefore, add some much-needed firepower to Chelsea’s squad for the second half of the campaign.

Pochettino is a big fan of Dybala

The London club’s interest in the Argentine is likely to be at the behest of manager Mauricio Pochettino. He is a keen admirer of his fellow countryman. Back in 2018, when his Tottenham team were about to face Dybala’s Juventus in the Champions League, he said:

“I think Dybala will recover [from injury] and I hope he does, because I think it’s always nice to play against the best in the world. I put Dybala in that category because he is a special talent and seeing him on the pitch is wonderful, even if he might cause your team a few problems.”

The forward’s fitness record is a concern

Dybala has been plagued with injuries throughout his career. Even this season, when he has played 17 matches in all competitions, he has already been sidelined with adductor, knee and hamstring issues.

Considering that the forward would cost so little to sign, though, the Blues may feel it is worth taking a chance on him. We shall have to wait and see whether Pochettino pushes the club into making an offer for Dybala over the next week or so.