After a dismal season that saw Arsenal drop out of the top-4 and miss out on Champions League football for the first time under their long-serving manager Arsene Wenger, Arsenal are now looking to make some inroads in the transfer market and are scouting for some of the finest talents in world football for a move this summer.
This has seen them linked with some of the best players in Europe and one player Wenger is now desperate for is Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado.
The Colombian star was a Chelsea player in the last three season but he spent two of those out on loan in Turin, where he has won two Italian league titles with the Old Lady.
He has been an integral part of Massimiliano Allegri’s plans in the last couple of seasons but reports today suggest that Arsenal are interested in his services.
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According to reports from The Sun, Wenger has made a £17.6m bid for Cuadrado, which, unsurprisingly was rejected by the Italian Champions.
Juventus had Cuadrado on loan in the last couple of seasons but made it a permanent deal for three years earlier this year.
It is believed that Juve paid a similar amount to Chelsea for his services and are not interested in letting him go.
However, Arsenal, who are ready to let their talisman Alexis Sanchez leave this summer, need some star additions and are looking at Cuadrado to replace Sanchez in the first team next season.
The Chilean international joined the Emirates from Barcelona three years ago but the lack of progress at the club has seen him reject a bumper contract extension with his current club.
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However, reports suggest that he is not ready to quit London and might be looking for a place at the Stamford Bridge.
Bayern Munich are front runners to land him while PSG and Manchester City are also interested in his services.
He has just a year left on his contract but will fetch big bucks this summer and Arsenal might have to spend more than just £17.6 on a replacement for him.
Cuadrado is a decent option and at 28, could be an able replacement for Sanchez but Wenger will have to make a better bid to even make Juve think about selling him.