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Chelsea have signed Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado for an initial fee of £23.3m, which could rise to £26.8m. The 26-year-old, who impressed for Colombia at the World Cup, joined Chelsea after fellow winger Andre Schurrle moved to Wolfsburg for £22m.

Cuadrado has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the English league leaders.

Chelsea fringe winger Mohamed Salah, 22, is likely to go on loan to Fiorentina as part of the deal.

Cuadrado said: “I’m very happy and thankful for this opportunity I’ve been given. This is a great club and honestly it is like a dream to join the Chelsea family and to know that the manager believes in me. I’m happy.”

It is thought Cuadrado, who has scored five goals in 37 international appearances, had a release clause in his contract of £26.8m.

Cuadrado played in Italy for five and a half years, initially joining Udinese from Medellin in his homeland in 2009. After a loan spell at Lecce, he moved to Fiorentina in 2012 and scored 20 goals in 85 Serie A appearances for the Florence side.

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella revealed the deal was imminent on Friday, saying: “It was a sale that had to be done.

“Cuadrado is a player that has always arrived with a smile and given everything to Fiorentina — I’m happy for him because he is going to a big club.” — BBC