The World Cup does wonders to a player’s value and demand. Juan Cuadrado finds himself between two of the biggest clubs in Europe, as Fiorentina are holding out for a bigger payday and offer at the moment, as both Manchester United and Barcelona are trying to sign the Colombian winger.
Juan Guillermo Cuadrado Bello has been playing for Fiorentina since 2012, but it was only last season that he truly became well known across Europe thanks to an excellent season, scoring 11 goals and adding 8 assists for La Viola in 32 Serie A matches. With or without the World Cup, it was quite clear things would change, and it was going to be come difficult for Fiorentina to hold on to him.
With his contract running out only in 2017, Fiorentina have the chance to cash in quite nicely on a player they signed for £17.6 million. Now they’re looking to double that money more or less, asking for €40 million, while Manchester United are offering €35 million, and Barcelona, who seem to be in a rush to complete signings before FIFA throw another transfer ban on them, will be trying to sign him for the same amount.
Cuadrado was excellent for Colombia in the World Cup, doing an excellent job on the wing but showing he can play behind the striker and help quite a lot with the defense. Maybe he didn’t stand out as much as James Rodriguez did, but he made himself fully known to anyone who hasn’t quite seen the winger in action.
For both Barcelona and Manchester United, this has been a summer of spending, and it isn’t over yet. Manchester United don’t have the Champions League competition to offer players, but their name, money and newly appointed manager (Van Gaal) should be enough of an attraction. Barcelona are going through some big changes as well, and despite their urgency in their search for a central defender, they’re not done adding forwards.