Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Fiorentina star player Juan Cuadrado, after the winger’s agent flew down to London to finalise the terms and details of the contract to be signed by the player in due course before the end of the January transfer deadline, according to Metro.

The Blues have had not so good experiences with players like Marco van Ginkel and other younger players who signed for the club with high hopes and expectations, but could not break into the starting eleven due to no spot being available. With players like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa in the first team, any player coming into the squad will have to be of exceptional quality to have a crack at a first team berth. Loic Remy has already been linked with a move away from Chelsea after rumours suggest the striker is unhappy following his move from Queens Park Rangers. The Frenchman has had few opportunities to impress the Stamford Bridge faithful, but with Didier Drogba also signed up for the season, the striker has had few chances to break into the fold.

Cuadrado’s career began in native South America, where he represented Independiente Medellin as a youth academy player. He soon signed for the senior side, but in one season was scouted by Italian club Udinese, and the 26-year old was on the move. After a poor spell at the club, he settled at Fiorentina, scoring 20 goals so far.