Report: Juventus want to extend Juan Cuadrado’s contract

In the last few years of his Juventus career, Juan Cuadrado has been one of the club’s most important players. We’ve seen his role grow and his value rise with it, and for the most part his performances have matched the importance put on the Colombian’s shoulders. The Johnny Square Experience has become a regular thing, with a player with a reputation over the years of being rather inconsistent turning into essentially a fixture in the team’s success.

And that doesn’t look like it’s going to change.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Nico Schira, Juventus are set to begin contract extension talks with the 32-year-old Cuadrado and his representatives. Cuadrado, who has been with Juventus since 2015 following a very unsuccessful stint with Chelsea, is signed through the 2021-22 season. Schira reports that Juventus would like to add one more year onto Cuadrado’s current deal, keeping him with the Bianconeri until the summer of 2023 and into his mid-30s.

While so much of the roster is up in the air entering such a crucial transfer window like this summer will be, Cuadrado’s spot at the club is essentially certain. His performances the last couple of years in a variety of positions — right back, right wingback and right winger — has shown that he’s still very much at the peak of his career rather than coming down out of his prime.

And it just so happens that this season he’s having arguably his best statistical year of his career.

Easily one of the best players in Andrea Pirlo’s starting XI, Cuadrado has recorded a career-high 16 assists in all competitions — nine of those coming in Serie A action as he’s tied with three other players, including teammate Alvaro Morata, for the top mark in the legue. He’s picked up where he left off ever since he missed time due to being diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year. And just as was the case with Maurizio Sarri last season, Cuadrado is proving to be one of the more reliable creative outlets that Pirlo can count on more often than not.

Basically, if Juventus wants to add another year onto Cuadrado’s current contract, he hasn’t done anything to show that it wouldn’t be deserved. And with so much of the rest of the roster expected to be in flux, Juventus’ top spots out on the wings with Cuadrado and Federico Chiesa are in pretty good hands.