Despite scoring 16 goals and providing four assists in all competitions, Artem Dovbyk’s debut season with Roma has failed to meet expectations. Purchased from Girona last August for a tidy €30.5 million, plus several million more in potential bonuses (and a 10% sell-on clause), Dovbyk was expected to usher in a new era for Roma, leading the line for Daniele De Rossi’s revamped Giallorossi side. Blessed with size, strength, and a keen eye for goal, Dovbyk was the lynchpin of Roma’s summer transfer campaign.

After a sluggish start to the season, Dovbyk was among the few Roma players to shine under Ivan Juric, netting seven goals under the embattled manager’s leadership. Truth be told, aside from a barren November (and April), Dovbyk has avoided any prolonged goal-scoring droughts this season, leading the club in scoring by a healthy margin.

However, despite a relatively healthy goal-scoring record, Dovbyk’s underlying numbers reveal a troubling trend. Whether discussing goals per 90 minutes, shooting percentage, shots on target, or goals per shot, Dovbyk’s numbers have declined from their Girona heights. Add in some cries of passive play or a lack of killer instinct, and, well, there’s your mini-controversy—a term we use loosely. Despite all those minor travails, Dovbyk’s actual goal-scoring haul perfectly aligns with his expected goals: 11 league goals against 11.6 expected goals.

Add it all up and you have one confounding striker. He’s not playing terribly, yet he hasn’t been terribly convincing, leading some fans to call for an upgrade. Until now, this has simply been a matter for message boards like ours. However, according to Catalan outlet Sport, Dovbyk’s former club, Girona, may be interested in reuniting with the 27-year-old striker.

Of course, considering how much Roma paid for Dovbyk and the fact that he has been productive, this isn’t a cut-and-dry affair. Despite these difficulties, Sport claims that Girona could lure Dovbyk back to Spain for roughly €30 million, using that 10% sell-on clause as a sort of make-weight or quasi-discount.

With another managerial change on the horizon, it isn’t inconceivable that Roma’s new headman may prefer a different sort of striker, so this rumor may not be as flimsy as it appears on the surface.

As always, stay tuned!