Chelsea make £28.8m bid for Paulo Dybala confirms agent Gustavo Mascardi

Chelsea have failed in a bid to sign Palmero striker Paulo Dybala despite submitting a £28.8m ($43m) offer in an effort to lure the Argentine youngster to the Premier League.

The 21-year-old has been linked with a host of clubs including Arsenal and Juventus and the Italian club are consigned to him leaving the club in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Agent Gustavo Mascardi confirmed earlier in April that Chelsea had submitted a bid which was below the player's valuation and after revealing the exact extent of the Premier League leaders' interest he says any interested party must pay €50m for his services.

"Paris Saint-Germain have already come forward with an offer of about £32.4m and Chelsea had already reached £28.8m," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "We're now at the stage where the price cannot be lower than €50m. Paulo is in no hurry and will take his decision calmly."

Dybala has scored 13 league goals this season in 30 league appearances for a Palmero side who are sitting 11<sup>th in the Serie A table and adrift of matters at either end of the table.

Despite his modest scoring record, Dybala is understood to be subject of interest from several big-name European clubs and is likely to become the central narrative during a transfer window.

Palmero president Maurizio Zamparini has regularly talked up Dybala's valuation while linking him with clubs from across the continent, including Chelsea whose manager Jose Mourinho is said to be an admirer.

Mascardi said to Tuttosport: "Juventus are the favourites. We're also listening to proposals from Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico [Madrid], Arsenal and Chelsea. In Italy, there's also Roma and Inter, in addition to Juve. Dybala will calmly decide, along with Zamparini.

"The interest of several clubs abroad is intensifying, [Chelsea manager Jose] Mourinho likes him a lot. I think this story will go on for several weeks longer. Zamparini is asking for €40m and it seems to me like a fair price. Chelsea presented an offer a while ago, but it was very low."