What’s the story?
Arsenal are apparently preparing for life without their talisman Alexis Sanchez and have found his replacement in Juventus’s Juan Cuadrado. The Sun report that the FA Cup winners have made a bid of £17.6 million for Cuadrado, which got rejected by the Bianconeri as they demand no less than £30 million for the player.
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Juan Cuadrado showed his true colours when he came to Fiorentina in 2012 from Udinese on loan for two seasons. He played his best football at the club and scored 20 goals in his 80 appearances during the loan spell which made the Viola buy him on a permanent transfer for £17 million.
Chelsea came calling for the Colombian in 2015 but he couldn’t perform at his best for the Blues. His spell at Stamford Bridge was rather underwhelming as made only 15 appearances.
His career took a new turn in Turin as Juventus signed him on a loan deal in the summer of 2015. The Bianconeri, impressed by his dribbling and playmaking skills, signed him permanently the next year for £17 million.
The heart of the matter
Juan Cuadrado hasn’t been able to play at his full potential this season as he managed to score just two goals in 30 appearances. Massimiliano Allegri wouldn’t have any objection in letting Cuadrado go if a fair deal comes his way. He would be thinking of funding potential moves of Federico Bernardeschi from Fiorentina.
With Bayern Munich’s Douglas Costa reportedly agreeing for a move to Turin, it would be really challenging for the 29-year-old to get a spot in the first-team.
Alexis Sanchez’s future at Arsenal has also been in doubt for a while. Following his potential departure and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being linked to a move to Liverpool, Cuadrado could be the saviour of the Gunners’ right flank.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are also looking to strengthen their squad ahead of next season’s Champions League. The Colombian can also play as a wing-back, meaning he would be a great replacement for Manchester City-bound Kyle Walker.
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Author’s take
Juan Cuadrado is a versatile player, who can offer to both the attacking and the defensive departments of a club. He would be a great asset to any club he steps in, provided the system is well planned for him to flourish. Both Arsenal and Spurs have the players to support Cuadrado and it would be interesting to see which club is more desperate to land him.
