La Liga giants have identified Juan Cuadrado as Dani Alves’ long term replacement.
Barcelona will target Fiorentina’s Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado next summer, report the Daily Star, with the World Cup star lined up as the long-term replacement for attacking Brazilian right back Dani Alves, who is widely expected to be on his way to Manchester United.
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Luis Enrique’s Catalan giants were heavily linked with a move for Cuadrado during this summer, with the floppy-haired Colombian star one of the stars of the summer World Cup and widely regarded as the most exciting right-sided attacking player coming through right now.
With Alves not getting any younger and, according to a number of recent reports, already having agreed a deal to join Manchester United, Barcelona would need to source a sufficient replacement for a player who offers them pace, width and creativity from the right flank.
However, the deal would depend entirely depends on Barcelona’s upcoming appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the two year transfer ban that they were given due to irregularities in the deal bringing Neymar to La Liga – if they are unsuccessful then the summer of 2016 would be the earliest that they could secure a deal for Cuadrado.
They are also likely to have to pay big for a player who could extend his Fiorentina in the near future, with upwards of £40 million potentially necessary to prise him away from the Florence club.