Why did Dorfbik, the former La Liga Golden Boot, be disappointed in Rome and face a transfer crisis this summer?

A year ago, he was the hottest scorer in La Liga; a year later, he seemed to be a redundant product in the tactical plan of Rome's new coach Gasperini. Dovpick's Serie A journey seems to have come to an end before it even started!

Last summer, when Dovbik joined Rome from Girona for 30.5 million euros, Red Wolves fans were excited. The Ukrainian striker, who just won the La Liga Golden Boot with 24 goals, is expected to become the new pillar of Roma's offensive end. However, after just one season, Dovbik was pushed into the transfer market by Roma. With the addition of Evan Ferguson and Leon Bailey, and the tactical system of new coach Gasperini, Dovbik is not the absolute core, and the Red Wolf management has begun to consider retrieving investment from the Ukrainian striker.

According to Italian media reports, as Naples' main striker Lukaku was absent due to injury for a long time, Dovbik quickly entered their sight. The famous reporter Skira also revealed that an intermediary agency has recommended Dovbik to Naples. Roma is open to transfers, but they prefer to sell directly rather than rent them, asking for at least 30 million euros. At the same time, AC Milan also listed Dovbik as one of the specific candidates for the forward signing. Roma's team reporter Luca Bianzin revealed that Roma even accepts player exchanges, which may involve Yunus Moussa or other players. Juventus, Villarreal, Leeds United and other teams have also been rumored to have scandals with Dovbik.

You should know that Dovbik shines during his 2023/24 season with La Liga team Girona, and won the La Liga Golden Boot with 24 goals and 8 assists. In Girona's tactical system, the whole team built an offense around him, and he became the absolute protagonist in the penalty area, with sufficient space and support. This tactical arrangement of "the whole team is playing the ball around him" has allowed Dovbik's goal-scoring ability to be the ultimate display. Now, just one season has passed, Dovpick has gone from the former La Liga Golden Boot to a tradable commodity in the Roma transfer market. Such a huge contrast is indeed regrettable.

Dorfbik's performance has declined significantly since landing on the Apennine Peninsula. He made 32 appearances in Serie A last season, scoring only 12 goals and contributing 2 assists. Compared with the data during the La Liga period, it fell by one third directly. In fact, this cliff-like decline is not accidental. Roma's tactical system last season was completely different from Girona, with stronger adjustments to body ball control and high pressure, requiring the forward to frequently retreat to participate in cooperation and defense. This caused Dovbik to lose space for hunting in the penalty area, and he was forced to retreat to the midfield to get the ball, which allowed him to stay away from his most threatening area, and naturally the number of goals scored decreased.

After Gasperini took over Rome this summer, he has implemented a more extreme "permanent motion machine" style tactic. This system requires all players, especially forwards, to be able to run, rush and grab. Dovbik's technical feature is to play the role of a sniper in a limited space, which is extremely difficult to adapt to in high-pressure systems. The Ukrainian striker is more accustomed to standing and waiting for the ball rather than running and pulling the defense, which is incompatible with Gasperini's tactical requirements. As a result, the former La Liga Golden Boot quickly became a marginal figure in the Rome tactical system.

For now 28-year-old Dovbik, now at the crossroads of his career. Are you staying in Rome and waiting for an opportunity? Or should you transfer to other teams to prove yourself again when you are valuable? This former La Liga Golden Boot does need to be considered carefully.