Chelsea are set to make a £32m bid for Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado in the January transfer window according to Daily Express.
According to reports, the midfielder’s contract talks have come to a halt which have enabled some clubs to start considering a bid for the 26-year old. Cuadrado’s contract expires in June 2017, but despite that the Viola want to tie him down to a new deal as he is one of the best players in their squad.
The Colombian can play either as a winger or as a full-back. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho can use Cuadrado anywhere down the right hand side as his work rate is impeccable; a characteristic that the Portuguese manager likes his players to have.
Cuadrado has made 5 appearances so far for Fiorentina and has scored 2 goals in the process. Last season, he has bagged 11 goals and 5 assists in Serie A. He was an essential figure in Colombia’s World Cup run along with James Rodriguez and has the highest number of assists to his name.
Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona also interested
Cuadrado is also being chased by United, Bayern and Barcelona. The trio were linked with him in the summer transfer window as well. However, according to reports, Chelsea are in prime position to sign the winger.
He suits the profile of all the 3 teams because of the system they play. All the 3 teams tried the formation with 3 at the back which in turn requires good wingbacks to support the midfield and defence. While Barcelona tried to use Dani Alves as a wingback, Bayern used Rafinha in that position. Louis Van Gaal has changed the system after it did not produce the required results with attacking players like Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia playing as the wingbacks. Cuadrado’s signature could be the missing piece that could solve the ‘wingback position’ problem.
Cuadrado has represented Udinese, Lecce and Fiorentina in the Italian Serie A. He is at the peak of his powers now, so it won’t be long before he moves elsewhere to realize his full potential.