Spanish soccer powerhouses Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are set to battle it out for the signature of the Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado.
As reported by the Catalan media outlet Sport, Real Madrid has joined “Barca” in the race for the flamboyant Colombian midfielder.
“The War for Cuadrado” reads the title on the front page of the newspaper’s Tuesday edition. Sport speculates that after the Catalan club passed on the opportunity to sign Cuadrado last summer, the Madrid outfit is now ready to pounce and make a move for the Colombian.
The president of Real Madrid, Florentino Perez is reportedly convinced the winger currently playing for Italian club Fiorentina is the missing link in the star-laden team. Unofficial talks have already been initiated. However, Catalan press maintains, Cuadrado won’t make quick decisions and wants to wait for all offers to come in. If he was to sign for Madrid, he would join his fellow Colombian star James Rodriguez on the team.
However, Sport suggests that FC Barcelona is not willing to give up on the Antioquia-born player, and if it is allowed make transfers in the summer 2015 (the club has a pending ban for financial irregularities from the past), the Catalans are ready to fight it out for the services of the Colombian.
“Barca keeps tabs on Cuadrado as a priority signing, in case the ban is lifted,” insists the newspaper.
Last summer, the Colombian sparked interest from various big clubs across Europe after a brilliant season in Italy and a string of impressive World Cup performances in Brazil, where he ended up the tournament with most assists under his name. Apart from the Spanish giants, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Juventus were all interested.
In absence of a summer move away from Florence, Cuadrado signed an extension to his contract until 2019, which reportedly includes a minimum release clause of $43.5 million.
Amidst rumors and speculations, it becomes more and more clear that Cuadrado’s days at Fiorentina are counted and he will have a lot of offers to choose from in the coming months.