The talks of Juan Cuadrado returning to Italy have surfaced again with several media outlets reporting that the Columbian himself has said yes to the move. Cuadrado, who had a spell with Juventus last season is keen to return to Turin where he has had more opportunities to show his talent on a more consistent basis. Antonio Conte has previously expressed his desire to keep the Columbian at the Stamford Bridge exclaiming that he is very much in his plans for the future but after seeing his name nowhere near the squad, the player has expressed his doubts of featuring in the first team under the Italian manager and wants to go back to Juventus.
Whatever be the case, it would be a mistake if Chelsea allows the versatile player to leave London and here are the main reasons why they should keep hold of the Columbian.
Versatility
The Columbian is one of the most versatile players in the Chelsea squad currently and can operate in a lot of different positions of the pitch. Cuadrado can play as a wing-back, winger or as a wide forward. Conte has used fullbacks all through his career and has been very successful with the approach. Cuadrado’s ability to perform the role of a wingback gives his manager additional cover in that specific region too.
The player’s work rate and energy are very well suited for that role, especially after excelling playing in the same position very recently for Juventus. The attacking abilities of the player will allow Chelsea to create effective overloads and provide the unpredictability during the attacking transformations from the right hand side far better than they can with any other player deployed in that role.
Tactical Flexibility
The biggest plus which Chelsea have with Cuadrado in the squad is tactical flexibility. With the Columbian being able to play in different positions, Antonio Conte can easily shift in between a 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 depending on the situation.
The Columbian can play anywhere down the right hand channel which will also allow his manager to utilise one of the most impressive performers of the team last season in Willian alongside the former Fiorentina man to combine their attacking skills to great effect where Willian will play in a more forward position than Cuadrado in a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2.
Flair
Last season, Chelsea suffered a lot with their players not being incisive enough in creating chances with Eden Hazard having a poor season, Willian did try his best but sometimes it wasn’t enough to get the job done as the Blues finished in a disappointing 10th place of the Premier League table. Having someone like Cuadrado in the squad would give the Chelsea team a lot more attacking threat and increase their chances of creating openings against packed defences without putting too much pressure on the likes of Hazard or Fabregas.
With his flair and dribbling abilities, Cuadrado is someone who can create chances out of nothing and to have that kind of personnel in the team where players have the ability to change the outcome of a game with a moment of brilliance is always an asset to have for any manager in any league let alone the one with the highest level of competitiveness.
