Official: Juan Cuadrado joins Chelsea

We called it one of the most obvious transfer rumours of the winter when it first appeared, and it's hardly a huge shock that it's now been consummated: Juan Cuadrado is Chelsea's newest player. His transfer has been an open secret for some time now, with Fiorentina's manager acknowledging his departure on Friday and the player himself taking photos of Stamford Bridge prior to the draw against Manchester City, but now the club has confirmed that everything is done and dusted.

Hopefully this signing -- the Guardian report that he's penned a four-and-a-half year deal, by the way -- solves the issue we've had on the right flank since André Schürrle (who will probably be in Wolfsburg before the window closes) was laid low with his mystery illness. At the very least, an in-form Cuadrado allows Jose Mourinho to rotate his attacking midfielders, which we'll need to keep everyone fresh in the stretch run. The fact that he's not cup-tied in the Champions League should be a big help for Paris and (hopefully) beyond as well.

But that's all in the future. For now, a very warm welcome.