Barcelona Given Hope in Paulo Dybala Pursuit With Juventus Open to Part Exchange Deal

Barcelona officially lost Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday night, but the Catalans have reason to be positive as they search for a replacement after reportedly learning that Juventus would accept players in part-exchange for star forward Paulo Dybala.

Barça have been heavily linked with Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, but the Brazilian is less a like-for-like replacement for Neymar than a boost in midfield. Real Madrid target Kylian Mbappe has also been mentioned this week, but Dybala very much appears to be the first choice.

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According to Mundo Deportivo (MD), Juventus have quoted a price of €120m for Dybala but are open to accepting a player from Camp Nou as part of the deal.

The Catalan newspaper suggests that Andre Gomes, a player heavily linked with a move to Turin before sealing his Barça transfer last summer, would be the preferred option. The Euro 2016 winner has certainly flattered to deceive since moving from Valencia but a fresh start may do him good.

The alternative that the reigning Italian champions would consider is Rafinha. The Brazilian was reportedly offered to Arsenal earlier this summer.

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Juventus' existing capture of Federico Bernardeschi from Fiorentina may also serve to help Barça's cause as the €40m 23-year-old has the ability to replace Dybala in the team. Juve would then use the money to sign Blaise Matuidi from PSG, or Steven N'Zonzi from Sevilla failing that, and an expensive centre-back to replace the departed Leonardo Bonucci.

As for Barça, MD notes that technical secretary Robert Fernandez still has particular eyes for Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele. Dybala is the key choice for coach Ernesto Valverde.