Arsenal transfer target Juan Cuadrado is due to undergo talks with Maurizio Sarri regarding his future at Juventus, with the player’s contract expiring at the end of the season.
A move for a winger on the wrong side of 30 seems extremely unlikely for Arsenal under their current system and considering Unai Emery’s philosophy, however, the Colombian is expected to be primarily used as a right-back this season.
This means that he could potentially be used as a backup if Emery was willing, and able, to tempt him into a move to North London, but it still does not seem plausible even if he maintained his more defensive position, as he would seemingly be below both Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the pecking order.
As the seasons go by, more and more people forget about the hype surrounding Cuadrado, who reached the peak of his career in the 2014 World Cup and has proved inconsistent ever since, during his time at Chelsea and Juventus, and he has seen his time on the pitch gradually deteriorate season by season.
It doesn’t seem likely that we would see the return of 2014 Juan Cuadrado if a move to Arsenal was agreed.
As quoted by GOAL, Cuadrado revealed this:
I’m very happy and grateful, I have one year left with Juventus.
As soon as I return we have a meeting to see what happens. I’m in the hands of God to make the best decision.
It is an educated guess that Sarri will no longer see Cuadrado in his future plans, therefore a move would be imminent, but probably not to Arsenal.
The Gunners have a very strong side already and are currently focusing on their youth as back up options, evidenced by the departure of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, which will undoubtedly clear the path for Reiss Nelson to fight for his spot. Therefore, a move for Cuadrado would be an unwise transfer for both parties, as it would stunt the progress of Nelson – an academy graduate at The Emirates.
