Ahead of the game, the Colombian sat down with the official Chelsea website to discuss fulfilling a childhood dream, the prospect of learning from Jose Mourinho and the importance of playing in the Champions League.

There is a good chance Cuadrado will look back on the three-and-a-half year period which preceded his move to Stamford Bridge as a highly significant part of his career.

The versatile attacker, who moved to Udinese from Colombian side Independiente Medellin in 2009, caught the eye during a loan spell at Lecce during the 2011/12 season. His impressive displays in a struggling team weren’t enough to halt their slide into the second tier of Italian football, but Cuadrado’s undoubted talent convinced Fiorentina to sign the player on a permanent basis.

Now, having swapped Serie A for the Premier League, Cuadrado is hoping to reproduce the form which saw him become a fans’ favourite at Fiorentina when he pulls on the blue of Chelsea.

‘I am very happy to be part of this team, I’m very grateful to have been given this possibility to live what has been a childhood dream for me, which is to play for a very big club – in fact, one of the best clubs in the world,’ he tells the official Chelsea website.

‘To be on the same team as all these big players is amazing for me, not only from a football point of view and how I can grow as a player, but also personally, to be surrounded by so many champions. It’s always going to make you want to grow and improve even more.

‘I’m now training and I was made to feel really welcome when I arrived. To me, that was very telling, because it’s clear we have a close-knit group and when that’s the case off the pitch, on the pitch that has to shine through.

‘In football you have to play for each other, and I can already see that’s what they do here. There is a real sense of togetherness and a big union within the team.’

Cuadrado’s stock has undoubtedly risen during his time with La Viola. His goals and assists helped bring about a reversal in fortunes for the club who, during his time at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, recorded consecutive fourth-placed finishes.

Italian football journalist and Fiorentina observer Giancarlo Rinaldi believes he will adapt to the demands of English football with minimal fuss.

‘He’s been one of the most exciting players to watch in Serie A, certainly in the last two-and-a-half seasons, since he signed for Fiorentina,’ Rinaldi explains. ‘Even before that, he had a lot of potential but I think at Fiorentina he has started to realise that.

‘He’s fun to watch, is a great dribbler and has a really powerful shot. I also think he’s developed as a player during his time there.

‘He can play as a second striker, often wide on the right and also on the left as well, where he would be cutting inside to shoot. He has great energy and drive and I don’t think there will be many problems in adapting to England.

‘He wins a lot of free-kicks. He has been the most fouled player in Serie A, much like Eden Hazard in the Premier League. I don’t know whether referees in England will give as many as they do in Italy, but certainly he is never slow to take a man on.

‘Over time he has had a lot more special attention, with one, two or three defenders trying to keep him quiet during a game.

‘He has been part of an improvement at Fiorentina. There was a clear-out a couple of years back, with a new group of players coming in, and Cuadrado helped them become one of the most watchable teams in Serie A.’