Juan Cuadrado, Juventus winger and Colombian International player has spoken about his desire to remain in Europe and rejected rumors about a move to Saudi Arabia.
The former Chelsea player has honestly renounced the probability of making a move to the Middle East following his departure from Turin.
What happened to Juan Cuadrado
The Colombian International football player was unable to reach an agreement with the Italian powerhouse to extend his stay before the 30th of June, 2023, and has become a free agent.
However, the 35-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to the Saudi Arabia Pro League which Cristiano Ronaldo joined after leaving Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Juan Cuadrado were teammates at Juventus until the former Sporting Lisbon player departed for Manchester United in the summer of 2021.
Cuadrado, the former Chelsea player had to give up the no. 7 jersey for Ronaldo when the 38-year-old joined Juventus from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018.
The duo used three seasons as teammates in Turin and won two Serie A titles together.
This prompts speculation that their bromance could convince Cuadrado to join the bandwagon of high profile players who are moving to Saudi Arabia this summer.
When Juan Cuadrado was asked about joining the Saudi Pro League he said; “At this moment, I still have the passion and I like to compete. Besides, Ronaldo is down there and he doesn’t want me!”.
He added; “I am very relaxed, thinking of what is best, asking God for help with these decisions. My agent Andrey Martinez was in Europe and has just arrived to talk to me about various situations. Obviously, there are opinions and we’ll analyze which is best”.
The former U.S. Lecce player made over 300 appearances in all competitions for Juventus, scoring 26 goals and registering 65 assists.
He won five Serie A titles with the Old Lady, securing four Coppa Italia, and two Italian Super Cups with the Turin Club.
What’s next for Juan Cuadrado?
The Colombian winger will be looking forward to securing a new pasture following the expiration of his Juventus contract.
Despite playing more than 300 games and winning nine major trophies in Turin, the 35-year-old is currently a free agent.
The Colombian international has not announced his retirement and has not ruled out playing in the 2026 World Cup, but he has said that a transfer to the Middle East is not in the cards.
Ronaldo on the other hand, was the first high-profile player to join Saudi Arabia Pro League after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema has followed him by joining Al-Ittihad.
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