Chelsea preparing themselves for Mohamed Salah departure with £26.8m Juan Cuadrado move

CHELSEA could make a move for Manchester United target Juan Cuadrado as they line up a replacement for Mohamed Salah.

Fiorentina winger Cuadrado was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United last summer after impressing for Colombia at the World Cup.

The 26-year-old took himself off the market in October after putting pen to paper on a new lucrative five-year deal.

Manchester City have also been keeping a tab on the player, who has a £26.8m buyout clause.

Reports suggest Jose Mourinho is an admirer of Cuadrado and has already made a tentative enquiry for his services.

It is also thought that Roma are growing increasingly confident of sealing a loan deal for Salah with a view to buying him permanently for £12m.

With Schurrle also tipped to leave Stamford Bridge during this window, it remains to be seen whether Mourinho will try to drive down Cuadrado's asking price