Barca on the offensive in chase for Cuadrado

Barca on the offensive in chase for Cuadrado

Regardless of whether or not Dani Alves leaves Barcelona this summer, Luis Enrique wants Juan Cuadrado to arrive at the club.

The first contact between Barca and the Colombian international took place at the end of April. It was a preliminary contact to inform his current club, Serie A side Fiorentina, that they were interested in the versatile right-sided player, and that they would present an offer at the end of the season. The Viola took note, even though at that time they didn't own 100 percent of the Cuadrado's rights.

It was not until last week that Fiorentina at last notified Barca that they had reached an agreement with Udinese to acquire the rest of Cuadrado's rights - an official announcement will be made within days. The Catalan club then offered €25 million for the player, but the Tuscany club asked for €35m.

Fiorentina argued that the price should be that high due to how much they have spent buying all the rights to Cuadrado. They spent €7m on the initial 50 percent and, more recently, €11m plus two players, who were valued at €4m, for the remaining percentage - a total of €22m

Besides Barcelona, Fiorentina also have interest in Cuadrado from other teams, notably Juventus. The Old Lady are looking for a right winger and are considering the Colombian, a football they value highly due to his experience in Italian football.

Last season, for example, he played 43 official games for Fiorentina (3,437 minutes) and scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists. These numbers did not go unnoticed in Italy, nor in Europe's other top leagues.

Alexis Sanchez remains Juve's first option though and they could withdraw their interest if they manage to sign the Chilean from Barca. That would make Barcelona's offer the best one on the table for Fiorentina.

Overall, the prospect of Cuadrado playing at Camp Nou next season seem good, although all parties involved understand the deal will not be resolved over night.

STRATEGY

Now the strategy comes into play. Barcelona's objective has to be to reduce the price as much as possible and for no players to be included as part exchange. Cristian Tello is a player Fiorentina like, but his name has not yet been mentioned in negotiations - although he may yet prove a way of reducuing the transfer fee eventually.

The truth is that Cuadrado is a player who Enrique really wants to be at the club for the start of the 2014-15 campaign. The Asturian coach knows the player from his season in Italy, when he managed Roma, and wants Andoni Zubizarreta do everything he can to make him a Barca player.

His signing does not depend on the future of Dani Alves either. If the Brazilian ends up seeing out his contract, which runs until 2015, Cuadrado would be used in a more attacking role, as he has done for COlombia at the World Cup, leaving Alves to continue at right-back.

Cuadrado has no doubts that he wants to sign for Barca. Once there is an agreement between the two clubs, the rest of the deal will be quickly conducted.

Meanwhile in Italy, on Fiorentina's side of the transfer, the club's former goalkeeper Giovanni Galli siad yestersday "if an offer arrives for Cuadrado, the club is obliged to sell him."