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According to Italian outlet Tuttosport, Juventus’ Juan Cuadrado is a target for both West Ham and Watford, with the Turin outfit keen to offload the Colombian in the summer.
The 30-year-old would surely take some convincing in order to return to England having had a miserable stint at Chelsea a few years ago, although the prospect of joining either the Hammers’ or the Hornets’ project has been enticing to others.
Watford have had a fantastic season and will surely be hoping to cement their Europa League ambitions as they look ahead to a crucial summer in terms of recruitment – signing a player with plenty of Champions League experience would be a massive statement from the Hertfordshire outfit.
The speedy winger has chalked up just one goal and two assists in 876 Serie A minutes this season but would bring plenty of flair and excitement to Vicarage Road. Below, Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts on whether a Watford swoop for the former Blues flop would be a good one…
Ben Goodwin
“Definitely. With the likes of Gerard Deulofeu and Abdoulaye Doucoure in their ranks, Watford are one of the few teams outside the top six with genuine game-changers in their squad, so why not add another one? One BBC journalist compared the Colombian to Mohamed Salah when the Egyptian arrived at Liverpool, and like Salah it will be Cuadrado’s second attempt at Premier League football. With bags of pace, flair and crossing ability, Troy Deeney will be licking his lips.”
Matt Dawson
“Cuadrado would be a magnificent signing for Watford and would be a huge sign of intent about where the club want to be. They’ve made some pretty shrewd signings in recent years and this would be another of them if they could complete the deal. With Deulofeu already in their ranks, the arrival of Cuadrado would be genuinely terrifying for opposition defences.”
Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…
Harry Sherlock
“Cuadrado offers genuine pace but he’s probably past his best. At the age of 30, Watford can do better and should be looking for players of a younger profile. It is not difficult to see why they are attracted to the Colombian, such is his pedigree, but Watford would be better off shifting their focus and their philosophy, otherwise they risk only getting one or, maybe, two good seasons out of him.”
