Manchester United and Chelsea target Paulo Dybala: Palermo want £28m for 'new Lionel Messi'

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has claimed the club are ready to part ways with Argentine starlet Paulo Dybala for around €40m (£28m, $42m) amid reported interest from Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City to secure his services.

The 21-year-old forward has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League after proving to be a sensation in Serie A, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists in 25 appearances this season.

While the player recently claimed he was likely to make a "dream move" either to Barcelona or the Etihad Stadium, Zamparini revealed during the January transfer window that the club had already rejected an approach from Old Trafford to secure his services.

The Palermo president recently suggested the Serie A side will let him go in the summer for a reasonable price after failing to convince Dybala to commit his future to the Italian team with a new deal.

And now Zamparini has put a €40m price tag on the Argentine sensation and claims the player has what it takes to become the new Lionel Messi.

"For me, Dybala is the Messi of the future," Zamparini told Radio Anch'io. "I value him at €40m but we will have to wait and see what happens at the end of the season. There has been a lot of talk about Dybala, but his agent is just doing his work. I have a good relationship with him."

Zamparini is ready to start an auction between the Premier League giants in order to get a lucrative amount of money, which will be used to reinvest in new stars.

He said: "The transfer fee we will receive for Dybala will be reinvested. We have an ongoing project. Even if Dybala were to leave, other important players will arrive."