Louis Van Gaal's rebuilding of Manchester United has already seen him fork out big money for Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, but could he be lining up his biggest move yet for Fiorentina's Juan Cuadrado? According to a report in Goal, the United manager refused to talk about a possible transfer, claiming that if he did, the "price would rise".
Manchester United boss hints at Cuadrado move
This isn’t the first time United has been linked with the Colombian star.
Gabriele Maltinti
Why it makes sense
Juan Cuadrado is just the type of player Manchester United needs. He's fast, he's flashy, he's a pain for defenders to deal with ... he's everything Antonio Valencia isn't. More importantly, he's not a defensive liability, which would work well in Van Gaal's new system.
Despite the solid performance of Ashley Young during United's preseason tour in the United States, any sane person would be completely behind their club adding a talent like Cuadrado. He would give Van Gaal another dangerous attacking option, and more tactical flexibility.
Finally, Fiorentina just paid €15 million to Udinese for complete control of Cuadrado's rights, which could be a sign that the Viola are looking to cash in on the winger's stellar World Cup performance
Why it doesn’t make sense
Fiorentina don’t need to sell Cuadrado, which means they could be stubborn about a transfer fee and really push United to see how bad they want the winger. He’s also one of the team’s best players, and was their second leading scorer last season behind only Giuseppe Rossi. Considering Rossi’s history of knee issues, letting go of your second best goal scorer could be a risky move. That said, if the Red Devils are willing to fork out €50m -- a number mentioned by Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade in Corriere dello Sport -- it simply might be too good of an offer to turn down.
Likelihood it happens
This is a tough rumor to handicap because there’s good reason for, and against, Cuadrado making a move. This isn’t the first time the winger has been linked with a United move, so we know the interest is likely there. In the end this will come down to money, which is usually the common denominator in football transfers. How much with the Viola demand? How much will United be willing to pay?
There’s also the issue of several other teams reportedly being interested in Cuadrado, including Barcelona. Competition tends to drive up the price. Given that there are elements to the story that point to a possible deal, along with the fact Van Gaal didn’t deny anything, let’s give it a 5 out of 10 chance of happening.
