Can Manchester United win this £21.6m transfer battle?

For a long time now The Red Devils have been linked to Fiorentina’s flying winger, Juan Cuadrado. He was linked with a move to Old Trafford last summer, following a series of superb displays in the World Cup.

What’s more, he looked like he’d be a good fit for Manchester United. Despite this, Louis Van Gaal went off in another direction, choosing to spend a huge amount of cash on Angel Di Maria instead. It’s still too early to decide whether this was a good decision or not, but the Argentine’s start to his time in English football hasn’t been all that impressive. Compare him, for instance, to Alexis Sanchez, who was at Barcelona last season and had a considerably smaller price-tag.

Still, it’s a little difficult to know what to make of all the reports that have been published over the last week or so, claiming that Chelsea are on the verge of sealing a deal for Juan Cuadrado. When I first read them, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Manchester United were letting a good opportunity slip through their fingers.

Luckily, The Metro claim that Manchester United are now ready to ‘hijack’ Chelsea’s deal to sign the Colombian winger. Perhaps Louis Van Gaal has realised what he’s missing out on?

Cuadrado has a £26.8m release clause written into his Fiorentina contract, but Manchester United are believed to have offered the club £21.6m. Whether this is enough to close the deal remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: Cuadrado is a man worth pursuing.

He’s already got 37 caps for his international side and he’s proven to be a big hit in Serie A. Last season he played 43 games for Fiorentina and found the back of the net 15 times. He can be deadly in the final third.

That’s why I’d like to see Manchester United beat Chelsea to the punch. Cuadrado would represent a big improvement over the likes of Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young.

What’s your take? Should Louis Van Gaal battle Jose Mourinho to sign Juan Cuadrado?

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