Chelsea’s 28-year-old winger Juan Cuadrado is living on the edge right at this very moment. As soon as he completed his successful loan spell with the Italian club Juventus, he came back to Chelsea and many believed that he might get a permanent route to the Old Lady as there is no starting place for him in the squad, but their manager Antonio Conte had other plans and he clearly stated that Cuadrado is a Chelsea player and will remain the one for the rest of the season.
Well, that was a bright sign for the Columbian, who do not really had a brightest of the start as a Chelsea man. He joined the Stamford Bridge outfit back in February 2015, after spending two and a half years with the Serie A outfit Fiorentina. In his very first season with the club, he faced a torrid time to establish himself, and only managed 14 goalless appearances.
During the initial stages of the 2015-16 season, Cuadrado signed a season-long loan deal with the Serie A Champions Juventus. The Columbian went on to make 40 appearances for the side and established himself as a first-team player. And now, right at this very moment, the player is struck in the middle of nowhere.
Reports suggest that Juventus are ready to bring the player back, but Chelsea’s manager Antonio Conte is not willing to let him go. According to the reports from the Sun, Cuadrado’s agent will be flying to London to discuss a potential move to the Old Lady despite manager Antonio Conte claiming that the Colombian had a future at Stamford Bridge.
Even Giuseppe Marotta, Juventus’ Club president, has expressed his desire to bring the Columbian back:
“I hope that over the next few days we can conclude the Cuadrado deal.
“For now he is a Chelsea player.
“We presented a proposal to them and are waiting for a response, but we are optimistic.”
Well, as of now, we all are aware of the fact that Cuadrado is a beloved one for Juventus, and thanks to a participation in the Champions League, the 28-year-old could get as many chances as he would wish. At Chelsea, the winger will face the competition from the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian, and looking at their recent form; the players are irreplaceable. Also, the lack of European football means the squad rotation would be minimum; therefore, his participation in the first team is on the fringe.
Cuadrado arrived at the Bridge with a lot of expectations and why not, the Columbian was a standout performer for the side in Florence, but he clearly lacked the dynamics Premier League demanded from him. No wonder he was quick and agile but lacked heavily in terms of physique. He was clearly out powered by the number of defenders in the league and that is why he lost his spot.
Well, Conte did say that he has a role for the 28-year-old, we have not seen the winger anywhere near the matchday squads so far this season, not even against lower league Bristol Rovers. Even though Willian is recovering from his injury and that raised Cuadrado’s first team chances, but he still hasn’t made the cut. Juventus wants him and can offer him a regular football, while Conte can only offer him some handful of Cameo appearances from the bench.
The system is clear, even though he made it to the squad, he will going to take time to adapt the abrupt nature of the Premier League, and on the other hand, he has a bag full of experience to play the sport in the Italian league, so why not sell him for the good? He won’t be the first team player for Conte in the league anyway, and looking at Juventus’ desperation to bring the player back is worth mentioning. So overall, we personally believe that it would be for the player’s good that the Blues allow him to leave the club.