Barcelona Transfer News: Barca Shouldn't Enter Bidding War for Juan Cuadrado

FC Barcelona shouldn't enter into a bidding war for Juan Cuadrado this summer. Interest in the Colombian winger is growing during this transfer window, with Manchester United and FC Bayern Munich both reportedly keen.

The former are ready to bid £30 million to tempt Serie A side Fiorentina into a sale, per Express reporter Ben Jefferson. However, Jefferson noted Cuadrado may not fancy a switch to England: "The 26-year-old is on record as saying he does not favour a move to England and is unsure whether the Premier League would suit his style of play."

Still, United have the fiscal muscle to convince Fiorentina to talk and would no doubt offer terms appealing enough to change the player's mind. More importantly, Cuadrado may have no such qualms about a move to Munich.

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Spanish newspaper Sport claims Munich are preparing to take advantage of Barca's reluctance to agree a fee for Cuadrado, according to Tomas Andreu of SPORT (h/t 101GreatGoals.com):

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SPORT claim that Barcelona and Bayern are most interested in signing the Colombian, with United keeping tabs, though turned off by Fiorentina’s 42 million euro price tag, while the player himself has little desire to play in England.

With Guardiola ideally preferring Marco Reus, but put off by recent price tags for Bundesliga players, Bayern and Barcelona now look set to battle it out for the Colombian wide man.

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Munich's former Barca boss Josep Guardiola could sway Cuadrado away from a move to Spain. He would be joining a team that is the dominant force in its domestic division. Guardiola's Bayern is also a major player in the UEFA Champions League.

Munich won't be pushed aside by a €42 million fee. That's what creates a potential bidding war, one new Barcelona manager Luis Enrique should avoid.

His squad doesn't have a major need for Cuadrado. The Fiorentina star is in the mold of a classic winger. He provides genuine width and loves to escape markers via direct pace and intricate trickery.

But Barca are not a team that relies too much on supply from wide areas. That's still the case even after the arrival of ex-Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

Enrique's forward line in the new season is likely to contain Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. Every member of that trio prefers the ball at their feet and to attack via quick and close combinations of passes.

Some of Cuadrado's finest attributes would be wasted at Barcelona. However, the player does boast some interesting flexibility. He can play striker and also has the ability to operate at right-back.

Yet that versatility shouldn't make Cuadrado a strong candidate to replace brilliant veteran Dani Alves. Arron Duckling of BarcaBlaugranes.com, has noted how Cuadrado's experience at full-back is actually very limited.

However, the real point about any potential positional switch is why pay €42 million for a player you plan to immediately take out of his best position? That's not a particularly sound strategy.

More to the point, Enrique should be spending his money elsewhere. Specifically, he should focus his resources on retooling a thin defence.

The club is still linked with beefy Valencia stopper Jeremy Mathieu, per Sky Sports. His club have reportedly set a €20 million release fee.

Barca are also being linked with a move for Ajax defender Daley Blind, according to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (h/t Mirror reporter Liam Prenderville). The proposed fee being discussed is €22 million.

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Blind's recorded price tag is considerably lower, per TransferMarkt.co.uk. However, the inflated fee could be a result of the player's fine performances for the Netherlands at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

So for the same price that he would pay for Cuadrado, Enrique could instead land two capable defenders. Those deals would ensure an overhaul of an area of the team desperately needing a refresh this summer.

Fixing a major weakness with two signings, rather than engaging in a monetary scrap for a player he doesn't really need, is the best way for Enrique to conduct the remainder of Barca's transfer business.