This year’s January transfer window has been notably quiet with Manchester City’s £28 million capture of Wilfried Bony and teenage sensation Martin Ødegaard’s move to Real Madrid dominating the headlines as clubs, including Chelsea, feel the constraints of FFP (Financial Fair Play). However Columbian star Juan Cuadrado may change a very dim January if recent reports are to be believed that Jose Mourinho has made him his top priority on his January shopping list. Such reports therefore beg the questions as to who is Juan Cuadrado, should he really command the £26.8 million figure currently being mooted and what affect will he have at Chelsea if the transfer is completed?
Juan Guillermo Cuadrado Bello was born in Necoclí, northern Columbia and is now seen as a leading light in Serie A as well as Columbia’s golden generation, along with a certain James Rodríguez. Yet Cuadrado’s path to stardom was not always so easy and similarly to Diego Costa he fits the title of a ‘late bloomer’ perfectly. Udinese first took Cuadrado to Italy as a right wing back in the summer of 2009, as he made the move from Colombia’s Independiente Medellin for an undisclosed fee. Initially, Cuadrado struggled to adapt in Italy and only notched a meager 24 appearances for the Zebrette, translated as “The Little Zebras.” He was then sent out on loan to Lecce and despite regularly appearing for the club, contributing 3 goals, he was unable to prevent Lecce’s relegation to Serie B that very season.
His potential was soon realised however by Fiorentina who decided to take Cuadrado on loan from Udinese in July 2012 and the pair have not looked back since. Cuadrado’s first season at La Viola brought significant improvement to his game as he managed five goals and held down a regular place in Vincenzo Montella’s starting eleven, convincing the Fiorentina hierarchy to pay €6million for a 50% stake in the player. But it was last season’s campaign that saw Cuadrado rise to prominence as he recorded 11 goals and 5 assists for Fiorentina who finished in 4th place and made it to the final of the Coppa Italia. He also announced himself on the world stage by impressing for Columbia at the World Cup Finals in Brazil, finishing joint top of the assists charts with 4 alongside Germany’s Toni Kroos, who played twice more.
Therefore it comes as of little surprise that Jose Mourinho is keen to add the 26 year-old to an already star studded squad. Along with his unmistakable mop-like hairstyle and extravagant dance celebrations, Cuadrado combines raw speed and power, with a great degree of flair but more importantly producing the end product to match. His style may be simple and direct but opposing managers in the Premier League who may well be lining up against the speedster should not underestimate his quality, paying particular attention to his long-range efforts on goal. Additionally no player successfully completed more dribbles in his debut season for Fiorentina (2012/13) in Serie A than Cuadrado who recorded a phenomenal 118.
The Columbian wizard also fits the template of a pacey, natural right-sided midfielder that Mourinho wants and subsequently could share some of the workload on the Chelsea wings with fan favourite Eden Hazard as Chelsea continue to compete on all four fronts this season. Additionally, should Cuadrado move to West London he is still eligible to play Champions League football with Chelsea this season having only represented Fiorentina in the UEFA Europa League. Another contributing factor to Cuadrado’s desirability in Jose Mourinho’s plans is his versatility. This season alone he has played a variety of positions for Fiorentina, including right-back, central attacking midfield, left-wing, right-wing and even up front where he began his career in his homeland of Columbia. With transfer fees continuing to rise, £26.8 million for a player who is approaching the peak of his career and can play in a number of positions seems more than reasonable.
Whether Cuadrado will complete a move to Stamford Bridge however, remains to be seen. Reports in Italy claim his agent is due in London to hold talks with Chelsea representatives while Fiorentina head coach Montella insists he will not be leaving the club this winter. His potential arrival may well spell the end at Chelsea for the likes of Mohamed Salah and/or World Cup winner André Schürrle, both of which did not feature in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Anfield in the Capital One Cup. Salah continues to be linked to Rudi Garcia’s Roma, initially on loan with an option to buy with negotiations surrounding the figure appearing to be the stumbling block between the two clubs. Schürrle on the other hand could make a return to the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg understood to be prepared to pay £23 million in an attempt to enhance their chances of playing Champions League football next year.
