Chelsea FC: Juan Cuadrado Deserves A Chance
It may be summer time, but for us football fanatics it signals the opening of the transfer window where all the teams will be looking to consolidate their squads for the upcoming season.
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This does not exclude Chelsea FC, who will be involved in the transfer market as always and are already linked with many big names such as Paul Pogba and Gonzalo Higuain, one of whom will likely wear the Blue jersey come August.
But when players come in, space needs to be created within the squad. Furthermore, with Financial Fair Play now a concern, funds need to be generated from somewhere too.
Along with some of the names on Chelsea’s unwanted list, Juan Cuadrado is one of the players rumored to be on his way out after just half a season at Stamford Bridge. It’s not just due to his failure to make an impact either, as there is an opinion among many that Cuadrado just won’t be able to adapt to the Premier League in the long run.
However, from the Colombian’s perspective this would be a highly unfair move.
He was brought in for a good sum of money (around £23 million) in January in order to replace Andre Schurrle, a man wrongly sold in my opinion. Admittedly though, Cuadrado was one of the best attackers in the Italian league where he was the main threat for Fiorentina, which is undoubtedly why he caught Jose Mourinho’s eye.
If we can give Oscar three seasons, why can’t we show the same faith in Cuadrado?
It was always expected that it would be a tough transition for the Colombian as the demands of the Premier League week in and week out are much more rigorous than those of Serie A. In the little time he was given this season, he showed glimpses of his attacking prowess although he did not contribute much defensively.
As expected he did indeed find the Premier league a bit tough, but this doesn’t mean that we should ship him off in the summer. Cuadrado was brought in largely to add to the club next season and he at least deserves a full year to prove himself.
Many of the foreign players find it difficult to adjust in the Premier League. For example, after 3 seasons Oscar still struggles to maintain form for a whole campaign; his performance levels usually drop drastically in the new year. Even Eden Hazard, who did not find it that difficult to adjust in terms of attacking, had a tough time contributing defensively until Mourinho eventually converted him.
If we can give three seasons to Oscar then my question is, why can’t we show the same faith in Cuadrado?
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Chelsea under Mourinho have made some very shrewd and intelligent signings. Selling Cuadrado, however, after just half a season and that too without giving him a proper opportunity would be sheer stupidity. Yes, his re-sell value is high now and Chelsea can easily bring in another player to replace him, but sometimes the virtue of patience should be adhered to.
Cuadrado can still be a major asset to the Chelsea squad and especially if the club wants to be competing in all competitions including the Champions League. All he needs is time. He deserves it and should be afforded some.
We have always been quite ruthless in our approach and the modern game does require a certain degree of such an attitude, but patience doesn’t always hurt. Give the lad a chance.
Next: Ivanovic in Champions League XI