Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Juan Cuadrado, Paul Pogba, Christian Atsu Rumours

Juventus are already planning to make the loan deal for Juan Cuadrado permanent at the end of the season, with Chelsea looking to use the transfer flop to leverage a deal for star midfielder Paul Pogba.

That's according to the London Evening Standard's Simon Johnson, who notes the Colombia international has adapted to his new surrounding quickly and already looks like a fantastic fit with the Italian champions.

Tano Pecoraro/Associated Press

Johnson believes the Bianconeri have the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season, although there is some confusion. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), the option is actually a “gentlemen's agreement,” requiring all parties involved to agree on a €22 million fee.

Cuadrado endured a nightmare spell at Stamford Bridge after completing a permanent move from Fiorentina in February, leading to a loan move back to Serie A this summer. At Juventus, he has quickly established himself as one of the team's top playmakers, whether it's as a winger or a classic No. 10.

His transformation from Chelsea flop to Juventus hero has been more than just a little unexpected, and the British media took note when Juventus beat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League. Oliver Holt of the Daily Mail was impressed:

Mind you, the surprise was just as big for the Italian media. As shared by David Amoyal, a translator for Gianluca Di Marzio, they barely paid any attention to the loan move when it was first announced:

The 27-year-old seems happy and liberated in Turin, and as things stand, it's almost a certainty both Juventus and Chelsea will do everything they can to make the move permanent. The Bianconeri don't want to lose Cuadrado, and Chelsea want to recoup as much of their initial investment as possible―unless a deal for Pogba becomes a possibility.

Pogba hasn't had the greatest start to the season, which was to be expected after the departures of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal and the injuries to Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira, but he's shown flashes of his ridiculous potential in the past week or so, including winning the battle against City's Yaya Toure.

The 22-year-old was excellent at the Etihad, providing a superb assist for Mario Mandzukic and generally shielding the defence well. The Guardian's Barney Ronay was impressed:

Pogba's future has been a topic of conversation for years now, and plenty of ink was wasted linking the France international with a host of clubs this summer, per Quotidiano Sportivo (h/t Daily Express' Uche Amako).

A move never seemed likely, with Pirlo and Vidal leaving the club, but that didn't stop Dan King of the Sun from claiming a deal between the Blues and Juventus had already been made.

If Pogba does leave the Italian giants―which isn't as inevitable as some people seem to think―the summer of 2016 would provide the perfect moment. Pogba is expected to lead France at Euro 2016, and if he does well on home soil, his value should be at an all-time high, the perfect leverage when entering discussions about his new wages.

With Cuadrado impressing for the Bianconeri, the Blues suddenly have a potentially huge weapon in discussions. Up until this point, Pogba seemed destined to move to La Liga, with Barcelona often touted as the most likely destination, per Diario Sport (h/t the Independent's Tom Sheen).

The very best players in the world have routinely spurned Premier League clubs for a Spanish adventure―think of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale―and a similar scenario seemed logical for Pogba.

But with Cuadrado, Chelsea have the opportunity to present Juventus with an attractive package that includes a player they know will be a good fit, and all the Blues will have to do is convince Pogba to move to west London rather than La Liga.

Christian Atsu Still Dreams of Chelsea Stardom

In other news, Christian Atsu remains adamant his dream is to make his mark at Stamford Bridge, and he knows he'll have to shine for Bournemouth in order to make that happen. Speaking to BBC Sport (h/t the Daily Express' Uche Amako), the on-loan attacking midfielder said:

"

It's my dream to play for Chelsea. But right now I have to focus on Bournemouth. If I don't play here there is no way I will get a chance at Chelsea.

Of course I'm not happy I'm not playing in the Premier League because I came here to play. Going out on loan is very difficult, you have to keep moving and taking your family with you and that is not easy. But that is the life, and you have to accept it.

"

Atsu is yet to make an appearance for the Cherries, who have started the season in solid form and have more than held their own offensively. The 23-year-old looked like one of Chelsea's brightest prospects during his time with Vitesse, but a poor loan spell with Everton likely has fans questioning his future with the Blues.

He needs a big season with Bournemouth to have any chance of convincing manager Jose Mourinho to bring him into the Chelsea squad next season, and so far, that isn't happening. Atsu's commitment is commendable, but until he starts playing regularly and does well, there won't be much of a future for him in west London.

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