What’s the story?
Barcelona are reportedly close to landing Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado. According to Goal, reported by The Sun, their move for Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin has hit a stumbling block which has forced the Catalans to browse through other options.
The 29-year-old Columbian, who is also being chased by Arsenal, has caught the attention of the Blaugrana but they yet to launch a bid for him.
Benfica’s Nelson Semedo and Fiorentina’s Federico Bernardeschi are the other options for Barcelona.
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Cuadrado moved to Chelsea in early 2015 after a stunning spell at Fiorentina. His move to Stamford Bridge was perhaps the worst spell of his career, however, as he managed to make just 12 appearances for Chelsea.
Following the lack of game time, he moved back to Italy and resurrected his career. He proved his critics wrong at Juventus and helped the Old Lady of Turin lift the Scudetto yet again and impress in the Champions League as well. His performances eventually led them to buy the player after another season for £17 million.
Aside from his skilled dribbling and pace, his defending and back-tracking are also attributes which make him very versatile.
The heart of the matter
Despite rumours heavily linking Barcelona with Bellerin and the Spaniard buying a house in the city, Arsenal have set a price tag of around £45 million for the Spaniard which Barca are reluctant to meet.
This has led the Catalans to look at other alternatives. They are also set to hold talks with Benfica regarding Semedo, who looks like the next best option for them.
Also read: Reports: Barcelona have found their alternative for Marco Verratti
The Blaugrana are also trying to strengthen their right side by bringing in Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele, who has reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with them. However, a fee with the German side is yet to be agreed.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are looking to cope with the potential departures of Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and will be desperate to make a move for Cuadrado.
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Author’s take
Cuadrado, despite his obvious talent, may not flourish in Barcelona’s possession play as he has never played in such system before. But it all depends on what Valverde has planned for him. His versatility could help him in the league as he can be deployed as a winger or a full-back.
