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Chelsea's newest signing is also our first ever senior Colombian player. That's a little bit surprising considering the raw talent that's come out of the country in recent years and our penchant for hoovering up said talent, but I suppose that's what happens when your transfer strategy revolves around buying Belgians and Brazilians. Anyway, the lack of familiar faces might have made it difficult for Juan Cuadrado to settle in in London ... if not for a helping hand from one of the city's smaller clubs.
Yes, Arsenal have appeared to help save the day. Keeper David Ospina, signed this summer, is a fellow Colombian international, and Cuadrado thanked him for his efforts in introducing him to the city via social media:
Cheers, Arsenal!
On a more serious note, I strongly suspect that the process of bedding in a player outside of football is far more important than it's usually given credit for. Swapping cities is a difficult enough process if you speak the language, and even for a footballer on a footballer's wages it must be challenging to adapt immediately, as winter transfers are asked to do. While I'm sure that Chelsea are helping Cuadrado settle in as best they can (and their resources are tremendous), it's great that he has a friend in London already.