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Late Barcelona bid HALTS Man Utd's hopes of signing Colombian star Juan Cuadrado
BARCELONA have foiled Manchester United's efforts to sign Colombua midfield dynamo Juan Cuadrado.
The Manchester side had expected a swift response to their £28m bid early on Friday morning, however late interest from Barcelona has halted the move.
Fiorentina are hoping to force the two sides into a bidding war that could see the price rise to in excess of £30m.
Cuadrado is believed to command a very modest £500,000 per-year wages, a figure that is certain to rise ten-fold if he makes the move away from Italy.
Juan Cuadrado - Player Profile
The Spanish giants have long admired Cuadrado - his exuberant personality combined with an abundance of pace, power and agility made him one of the stand-out players of the World Cup.
Though the winger was overshadowed by the unparalleled brilliance of team-mate James Rodriguez - Louis Van Gaal clearly values his Herculean performances and versatility.
The 26-year-old's return from his post World Cup holiday will only fuel transfer speculation.
United fans are hopeful the 26-year-old will be Van Gaal's third addition of the summer.
So much so that Cuadrado's Wikipedia page has been modified to say he is officially a Manchester United player.
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