According to Calcio Mercato, Juventus want Chelsea to lower Juan Cuadrado’s price-tag; whilst The Telegraph report that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will invest heavily in central midfield options during the summer transfer window.
The Colombian international moved to Stamford Bridge from Fiorentina in January 2015 but found himself loaned out to Serie A champions Juventus just six months later – with only 14 Blues appearances to his name.
No agreed buy-out fee was included in the loan deal – although a gentleman’s agreement that Cuadrado would move to Turin permanently was made in the summer – and the two clubs have spent the last few months haggling over the 27-year-old’s price tag.
Juve have already got Chelsea to reduce their valuation from €27million to €20million, but Calcio Mercato claim the Old Lady now want to see it drop to between €10million and €15million to better accommodate their transfer budget.
That could result in an enormous loss on Chelsea’s original £23.3million investment. But if the Premier League side don’t comply, Juventus will send the winger back to west London at the end of the season.
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Meanwhile, The Telegraph report that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger plans to invest heavily in central midfield during the summer, despite signing midfielder Mohamed Elneny from FC Basel in a £7.4million deal earlier this week.
Although the Egypt international will serve as cover for injured enforcer Francis Coquelin this season, his future could well lie in a more offensive midfield role.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky are all set to be released upon the expiration of their contracts at the end of the season and 31-year-old Santi Cazorla will have entered the final 18 months of his current deal.
The Telegraph claim the engine room will be Wenger’s priority in the summer, whilst centre-forward and centre-back represent other areas of potential recruitment.
Le Prof has reportedly informed his scouts of this and whilst long-term targets Lars Bender, William Carvalho and Victor Wanyama will continue to be monitored, the Gunners gaffer is open to alternative suggestions.