Tottenham transfer news: Why image rights issue made Paulo Dybala deal so difficult

Spurs made a serious breakthrough this week but could not solve image rights issue

Earlier this week, Tottenham Hotspur made a significant breakthrough in their audacious attempt to sign Paulo Dybala from Juventus.

First, Juventus – who, contrary to some reports, are eager to offload Dybala so that they can balance their books ahead of the Italian transfer deadline – accepted an offer in the region of £70m.

Then, Dybala’s representatives indicated that the 25-year-old Argentina international would be interested in moving to north London. The opportunity to work with fellow Argentine Mauricio Pochettino was particularly appealing to Dybala.

So, ahead of Thursday evening’s transfer deadline, both clubs were in agreement over the deal and Dybala had indicated his willingness to move. But there was a catch.

Unlike most other players, Dybala’s image rights are not owned by his club but by a third-party. Some years ago they were sold to the Malta-based Star Image Company, owned by Dybala’s former agent, Pierpaolo Triulzi.

Unsurprisingly, Spurs quickly discovered that buying back Dybala’s image rights would prove both expensive and exceptionally complicated.

The separation of Dybala’s image rights meant that, even though Spurs and Juventus had come to an agreement over the transfer of the player, the deal was unable to be finalised.

Late on Thursday, Spurs began exploring the possibility of a loan deal with an obligation to buy to temporarily circumnavigate the image rights problem.

But such a deal – involving a completely new structure – leaves both clubs racing against the clock, with a move now looking increasingly unlikely.