Player Report: Is Arsenal Target Juan Cuadrado All He’s Cracked Up To Be?
I have to admit that having seen overly-hyped players from leagues other than the Barclays Premier League arrive and either flop miserably, or fail to show their previous form such as Gervinho, Marko Marin, and more recently Jozy Altidore, I currently tend to be a bit more skeptical when it comes to believing and hyping players who I haven’t seen enough of to judge well. However, after seeing some bits and pieces of the mercurial Juan Cuadrado, as well as some games he played in, I have come to believe that this is a player who has all the necessary qualities to be a huge success in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old Colombian who plays for Fiorentina is having a good season to add to his brilliant performances of last season. Cuadrado is predominantly a right-midfielder, but he can also play as a right-back or a centre midfielder at a push. Since the tail-end of last season, I had been hearing brilliant reviews of the midfielder with some people even describing him as the best dribbler in the world. Surely an exaggeration, right? Well, I began to watch him in order to try and make up my own opinion and I can’t say that the reviews were far off the truth. The boy has got it all: Refined pace (he knows how to use it), ridiculous skill, as well as an immaculate vision for spotting final passes. My only criticism of Cuadrado is that sometimes he tends to keep the ball for too long, but surely he will improve this aspect as he matures.
It also seems that with several outlets such as the Metro and the reliable Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that Arsenal have a solid interest in the wide player, it may seem as if it’s only a matter of time until we get to see this brilliant player square up to the likes of Patrice Evra and Ashley Cole.
I hope you liked my first blog and I’m very welcoming of any feedback you may have for me.
Oh, and take a look at the video below, judge Cuadrado for yourself, and see you next time!
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