Chelsea are rumored to be interested in signing Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina as reports around Andre Schurrle and/or Mohamed Salah leaving the Blues continue to circulate. Cuadrado, 26, was said to be in the stands at Anfield on Tuesday night during Chelsea’s 1-1 League Cup semifinal first leg draw with Liverpool as a guest of the west London club.
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Cuadrado starred at the World Cup last summer with Colombia and has been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and several of European soccer’s other giants since returning to Florence in 2014. The Daily Mirror believes offloading one of Schurrle or Salah is crucial to Chelsea picking up Cuadrado for a fee believed to be around $40 million.
There are some crazy numbers being quoted in Paris, as Manchester United aim to bring in Brazilian defender Marquinhos from Paris Saint-Germain. According to the Sun newspaper, PSG have said United can have Marquinhos if they stump up $170 million. That would be a world record fee for a 20-year-old defender who joined PSG from Roma for $40 million in 2013. Yep, either the button on someone’s calculator got stuck and added a couple more zeros or this is just utter madness. United should move onto their next target, fast, as Louis van Gaal continues to look at options to bolster his defense.
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Staying in Manchester, James Milner could leave Man City for nothing in the summer as the English midfielder continues to stall over signing a new deal with the Citizens. Milner, 29, has offers from Spain and Italy, according to the Guardian, as well as Arsenal and Liverpool interested in signing the workhorse for free. Will the England international move on from City this summer after spending five season’s at the Etihad Stadium?
Arsenal have opened talks with Brazilian center back Gabriel Paulista, according to the Telegraph. Paulista, 24, could struggle to get a work-permit in the UK but the Gunners are offering a deal in excess of $15 million to Villarreal to snap him up in January. The Spanish club are said to want Paulista’s release clause of $22.5 million met, but Arsenal are reluctant to blow most of their January budget on the center back.
The Independent claim that Arsenal and their north London rivals Tottenham are both interested in signing Roma striker Mattia Destro. The Italian international, 23, has scored five goals in 19 appearances for Roma this season but has spent plenty of time on the bench behind Gervinho. Could Spurs or Arsenal swoop to offer him regular games? Tottenham would seem the most likely destination given the Gunners’ glut of attackers.