Chelsea’s Juan Cuadrado is close to leaving the club and joining the Italian giants Juventus on a season-long loan.
The Colombian forward joined Stamford Bridge in January but has failed to make an impact. The 27-year-old is way down the pecking order for Jose Mourinho. The Blues’ manager rates him high but Cuadrado’s chances to start are very slim.
Juventus are interested in Cuadrado but they rate him behind Schalke’s Julian Draxler and Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan. But, the club has difficulty in landing either of them which means Cuadrado is a real possibility.
Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta admitted that the club is close to bringing in the Blues’ forward.
We took the opportunity, it is all done and we hope it to be official tomorrow. It will be a loan for the season
Cuadrado has joined the Blues in a £26.1 million deal in January this year from Serie A club Fiorentina. Mourinho expected him to challenge for the attacking- right position. However, the Colombia international struggled to meet his expectations.
He has made just four Premier League starts and 15 appearances in total. The fact that he couldn’t score a single goal in Chelsea shirt indicates his struggles at the club.
The arrival of Pedro from Barcelona this week gives Mourinho enough options even if Cuadrado leaves on loan. In fact, the loan deal would give a chance for Cuadrado to get his rhythm back.
