Has Juan Cuadrado Done Enough to Earn a Permanent Move to Juventus?

There is no denying the impressive results recorded by Juventus recently, the reigning champions finally rediscovering their best form and reclaiming top spot in Serie A in recent weeks. A miserable start to 2015/16 saw the Bianconeri take just five points from their opening six games, only to spark into life and embark on a club-record 15-match winning run.

That streak began with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over crosstown rivals Torino in October, a memorable moment for Juan Cuadrado to net his first goal for the club. The Colombian entered the derby encounter as an 11th-minute substitute for the injured Sami Khedira and made his presence felt by setting up Paul Pogba for Juve’s opening goal.

As the graphic in the tweet below highlights, it was a superb performance from the player, but the question of whether his move should be made permanent continues to linger.

Cuadrado joined the club on loan in late August, but their official website made no mention of a pre-agreed fee should the Bianconeri wish to sign him outright at the end of the campaign.

Despite that lack of official confirmation, however, director general Beppe Marotta revealed such a deal does exist when discussing the former Fiorentina winger’s future with Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia) back in January:

"

In tactical terms he is very different to the other players, so it’s only normal he suits us. There is a verbal agreement for an option to buy from Chelsea, so we’ll see what happens. We are happy with what he’s doing both on and off the field, so certainly he is someone we’ll try to keep in Turin next season too.

"

Making a case for them to do so is quite straightforward given the impact Cuadrado has made, weighing in with a total of three goals and five assists in his 28 appearances to date. Those performances have notably improved as the campaign has progressed too, supporters voting him as their player of the month for February, reported by the club’s official website.

"

Dribbling skills ✔
Never-say-die attitude ✔
Goal contributions ✔

Here's why @Cuadrado is your #MVP for February  ➡ https://t.co/dlIcW2fRUF

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) March 7, 2016"

During that period, he struck a vital goal against Frosinone and was heavily involved in the own goal that led to victory over Genoa, two results that were essential to opening up a lead over Napoli atop the Serie A standings.

His future may not solely depend on his own displays, however, with Juventus also believed to have an option to sign Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi in June. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), the fee for that agreement is set at €25 million. It is unlikely the Bianconeri would sign both players.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Yet should Cuadrado and his effervescent style help secure a historic fifth consecutive league title, it would be difficult to imagine Juventus allowing him to return to Stamford Bridge, with the man himself seemingly fully focussed on achieving exactly that.

"We know that there are other teams near us, and they’ll fight to stay in the battle for the Scudetto," he told Sky Italia recently (h/t Football Italia). "We mustn’t give up, and continue with grit and always try to win. We must always go onto the field with the right mental attitude, and we have to work because we know the matches are difficult and anything can happen.”

Squawka.com

That list of unknown variables could include making his switch permanent, particularly given the variety of options he provides playing as a wing-back in coach Massimiliano Allegri’s 3-5-2 formation or further forward in an alternate setup.

His dribbling and ability to beat a defender open up so many avenues for the Juventus attack, with the graphic above showing he has completed an impressive 66 per cent of the take-ons he has attempted this term, per Squawka.

Ignoring the potential signing of Berardi and given his valuable skill set, few would argue against Cuadrado’s stint in the club’s famous black-and-white stripes being extended.