Departing Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado has thanked the fans and the club for giving them an opportunity to showcase his talents. The winger is expected to have a medical at Chelsea today ahead of a move before the deadline day.
Cuadrado, who have been with the team since 2013, wrote in his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, “Florence will always be in my heart. The people are extraordinary. The fans full of passion. The Viola launched my career and gave me the opportunity to grow also thanks to a great club and exceptional teammates.
a Now a new journey awaits me. New emotions. New objectives. But always with Florence in my heart. Thank you to everyone! Juan.a
After a brilliant World Cup, where he was one of Colombia’s key players after scoring once and setting up four goals, Cuadrado signed a new contract with Fiorentina in October last year that had a release clause of a 35m. Chelsea are expected to pay A?23.3m upfront for Cuadrado’s services and that could rise up to A?26.8m which happens to be his release clause. Fiorentina will acquire Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah on loan until the end of the season as the Egyptian is part of the deal to bring in Cuadrado.
Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Montella revealed that Cuadrado was someone who gave it all for the team. In addition, he said that his side will benefit from Salah from an attacking sense, but Cuadrado’s departure will remove his defensive abilities from the squad, “It was a sale that had to be done. The club has done the right thing because we are also getting a very good player. Naturally, we need to understand how long Salah will need to adapt to our football as it’s different from the English and Swiss leagues.
“From a defensive standpoint, Cuadrado guarantees us a lot more than Salah. Cuadrado is a player that has always arrived with a smile and given everything to Fiorentina.
“I am convinced that if he could have played tomorrow against Genoa he would have. I’m happy for him because he is going to a big club.”
Giuseppe Rossi had some kind words for his teammate and revealed on Twitter, a Best of luck to my friend Cuadrado for his new adventure at Chelsea. You deserve it!a
The move will definitely benefit Chelsea as Cuadrado’s work rate is impeccable, something that Jose Mourinho demands from all his players. In addition, the 26-year old will be eligible to play in the Champions League this season, which is another plus for Mourinho and Chelsea.