Rumour: Chelsea ready to meet £26.8 million buy-out clause of Fiorentina's Juan Cuadrado

Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in the signature of Fiorentina midfielder Juan Cuadrado

Reports indicate that Chelsea are willing to sign Florentina midfielder Juan Cuadrado for a fee of £26.8 million. The 26-year-old has been one of the Italian club’s best players for quite some time and the Blues boss is reportedly keen on completing the deal before the January transfer window closes.

The Blues had approached the Colombian in the summer over a switch to Stamford Bridge but the deal stalled and Cuadrado proceeded to sign a new contract with Florentina. The contract he signed in October was a five-year deal, which included a buy-out clause of £26.8 million and Chelsea are willing to pay that amount to acquire the player.

Rumours also suggested that Manchester United were also trying to acquire the player in the summer window, but couldn’t come to an agreement. Cuadrado has been on the radar of several Premier League clubs after the Colombian helped his country reach the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil.

He has earned 33 international caps and scored five international goals for his country. He scored the opening goal in the 4-1 win over Japan at the World Cup and ended the tournament with 4 assists, tied at the top with Toni Kroos.