Whether or not Serie A side Fiorentina are able to keep Juan Cuadrado at the club as the Metro are reporting that they are trying to do, I thought that I would try and figure out where he would fit in the Arsenal midfield should the Colombian make the switch.
The first thing you notice when watching the 25-year-old is the pace at which he does everything. While most players take a few touches when dribbling, Cuadrado’s incredible ball control allows him to take twice as many, leaving opponents dazzled and aprehensive at what he is going to do next.
His blistering pace helps, too. I would suggest that there are few players in the Premier League who could match the midfielder in full flow, especially not defenders, which is another reason he is so much of a threat.
He can sit in central midfield or be pushed into the wings where he has move space to exploit, and could solve the Gooners’ striker worries, also. Hear me out.
With two of Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey in the pivots, Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Cuadrado could rotate in the three pockets behind the striker. They all have the bursts of speed, they all have the intelligence and they are all wonderfully inventive on the ball. It would also mean that when Theo Walcott returns from injury he could revert to the centre-forward role that he enjoys so much.
Are you with me, Gooners?