Arsenal: Juan Cuadrado panic stations have not yet arrived

Arsene Wenger is reportedly driving a deal for Juan Cuadrado. The Juventus winger, though, is a sign of panic, one that does not usually surface until late August for Arsenal.

Thanks to mismanagement of the squad, hesitancy in the transfer window and a lack of convicted and intention in player recruitment, Arsenal and Arsene Wenger have often had to cobble together a mire of substandard players as the summer window draws to a close to provide any semblance of a working squad challenging at the heights of English football.

Rarely has such a tactic worked. After an 8-2 thrashing in 2011 at the hands of a rampant Manchester United, Wenger was forced to survey the scraps of the transfer market, eventually signing players like Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta, Park Chu-Young and Andre Santos all in the final days of the summer.

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It was a rash and unwise decision that led to a bloated and subpar squad. Arsenal had strength in numbers. But their numbers were far from strong. In a very similar manner this summer, Wenger has assembled a deep and varied squad, with several alternative options at most positions. There is a great versatility and flexibility, with players capable of excelling in a number of roles, and there is a healthy competition that only serves to challenge the performance of each and every individual.

The number of players is not an issue; quality is. That is why the rumours suggesting that Wenger is driving a £22 million bid for Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado are concerning. In a position of relative need — Arsenal could certainly use a pacy, direct wide man, a need that is only accentuated if Alexis Sanchez does indeed depart, as is expected — Cuadrado is not the improvement that is required.

The likes of Lucas Perez, if he stays, Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are players of the same ability, if not more so, than Cuadrado. Moreover, they have proven that they can perform in the Premier League, something that the Colombian failed to do during a frustrating stint with Chelsea.

Signing Cuadrado seems like an acceptance that there are no better options available, very much like signing Perez last summer was, or Danny Welbeck three years ago. It is not that they are bad players, but simply, that they do not boast the elite quality that is needed to significantly improve the starting XI, not just add another body into the mix.

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When all other options are exhausted and Arsenal still need a winger, that is when Cuadrado becomes a viable avenue to explore. But until that point, he stinks of panic, and it is far too early for that.

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