Antonio Conte should recall Juan Cuadrado to Chelsea

Juan Cuadrado could prove a very useful player for Chelsea if expected new boss Antonio Conte brings him back to Stamford Bridge

It’s easy to forget that Juan Cuadrado is a Chelsea player. He barely made a dent in the memories of most Chelsea fans during his brief time at Stamford Bridge and now he’s flourishing at Juventus. Antonio Conte would be wise to bring him into the fold when he takes over the Premier League club.

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Conte and the Chelsea brass will have to mend some fences with Cuadrado if they expect him to come back. He still has some ill feelings over the lack of opportunity he had at the club under former manager Jose Mourinho. The Telegraph reports that the Colombian attacker’s strong preference is to remain with The Old Lady next season.

Cuadrado would be especially helpful if Chelsea star Eden Hazard departs the club this summer. He could serve as a like-for-like replacement for the Belgian and certainly would improve the production the club’s received from the position this season. Cuadrado’s combination of pace and physicality should fit in nicely to the Premier League style of football.

It’s not as if Cuadrado has been lying on a beach somewhere after his Chelsea departure either. He’s playing high-level football for the Serie A leaders. He’s also played just as much Champions League football as most of the Chelsea players this season.

In fact, Cuadrado is Juventus’ fourth highest rated player of the season per Whoscored.com. His average player rating of 7.37 puts him just behind Paul Pogba on The Old Lady squad. That’s not bad company for a player that couldn’t find the field at Stamford Bridge if he was equipped with a map.

Chelsea fans should hope that Conte does a better job with the talented attacker than Jose Mourinho did. He could provide the club a solid boost if they’re able to bring him back next season. He may have only scored three goals in Serie A, but he’s added five assists as well. Expect those outputs to increase if he can remain healthy next year.

It’s not as if Chelsea is blessed with exceptional talent on the wing. Even if Hazard stays, they need to add some life to what’s been a moribund attack all too often this season. Willian has been excellent, but Oscar and Pedro have been fairly anonymous for the managerial combination of Mourinho and Guus Hiddink.

Upgrading the attacking midfield should be a priority for Chelsea next season. It seems silly to spend big money on importing a player from abroad when all Antonio Conte needs to do is recall Juan Cuadrado from his Serie A loan.