OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Juventus sign Juan Cuadrado on permanent basis

Juan Cuadrado first came over from Chelsea in the spring of 2016 where he had a very up and down season, and his level of contributions were highly debated and controversial. This season, however, he has become a staple in the team, partially due to a formation change.

Now, Cuadrado is officially a Juventus player, as Juve has paid Chelsea the preset transfer fee in the loan deal. From the official press release:

Turin, 22 May 2017 - Juventus Football Club S.p.A. announces that, following the achievement of the conditions provided by the contract, its obligation to definitively acquire the registration rights of the player Juan Guillermo Cuadrado Bello from Chelsea Football Club LImited became due.

The permanent transfer fee is € 20 million to be paid in three annual instalments starting from 2017/2018 financial year.

Juventus and the player signed a contract of employment until 30 June 2020.

Cuadrado provides a a wide option on a team where there aren’t many. His ability to play both as a winger in a 4-2-3-1, or as a wingback in a 3-5-2 make him a valuable option, even as a bench player or super sub. Even if an additional winger is brought in, Cuadrado should still expect to see solid minutes, and is a weapon that I’m sure Max Allegri is thrilled to have.

As frustrating as he can be at times, I think most of us can agree that he’s nice to have on this Juventus team. If the club does decide to move in a direction towards more wide players, keeping him for the near future is a good place to start.