Arsenal have reportedly submitted a bid of £22 million to sign the Italian giants’ Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado this summer
According to a report by RCN Radio, Arsene Wenger is keen on bringing former Chelsea player Juan Cuadrado back to the Premier League and has submitted a bid of £22 million for the same.
Cuadrado struggled during his spell with Chelsea and just could not make things work for him at Stamford Bridge. He was eventually loaned out by the Blues and played two seasons for Juventus before signing for the Italian champions permanently for £17 million.
Although Juventus have been Italy’s strongest team by winning the Serie-A title and coming close to winning the Champions League, Cuadrado’s performances do not seem all that appealing. The Gunners have also been linked with signing Thomas Lemar from AS Monaco and it is likely that Wenger is eyeing Cuadrado only as an alternative.
Having said that, there is no doubting Cuadrado’s skills. He is technically sound and can out-dribble even the best of players, but he lacks pace and is not quite as creative at setting up opportunities and chances. In fact, his numbers aren’t that impressive and he is not the best when it comes to producing goals.
Another thing to consider is the fact that he is already 29 years old and his goal production rate has never reached the levels that Lemar’s has. Cuadrado’s best year in terms of numbers was back in 2013/14 when he tallied 11 goals and five assists.
After a humiliating season, Wenger is aware of the amount of pressure on him to do better especially after signing a two-year extension on his contract. For that, he needs proven quality and while Cuadrado does have talent, he may not be the ideal option to fill the position that Arsenal desperately need at this point.
The fact that Arsenal are likely to lose Alexis Sanchez this summer will definitely amp up the pressure on Wenger and signing a new winger has become top priority for the North London club.
If Wenger receives the opportunity to sign Lemar, he should go for the Frenchman even though he will be a lot more expensive than Cuadrado because the Gunners require strength in their attack and cannot afford to make anymore mistakes in the transfer window.
