Chelsea sign Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina but lose Andre Schurrle to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg

CHELSEA have kicked Deadline Day into life by signing Fiorentina midfielder Juan Cuadrado, while Andre Schurrle leaves for Wolfsburg.

In this Jan. 25, 2015 Fiorentina's midfielder Juan Cuadrado kicks the ball during a serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Roma in Florence, Italy. Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella has confirmed Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, Juan Cuadrado is set to complete a move to Chelsea, with Mohamed Salah moving on loan in the opposite direction. Cuadrado is expected to undergo a medical in London on Saturday ahead of signing a permanent deal with the Premier League club. (AP Photo/Fabio Muzzi, file)

TRANSFER deadline day has sprung into life with Chelsea signing midfielder Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina in a deal reportedly worth $45.4 million.

The 26-year-old Colombian international signed a four-and-a-half-year contract and described his move as “a dream”. Cuadrado, who has 37 international caps, joined Chelsea on the same day that forward Andre Schurrle left the club for Wolfsburg in Germany.

Meanwhile, one of the few deals to go through on Monday between Premier League clubs saw winger Wilfried Zaha return to Crystal Palace from Manchester United.

Zaha moved to Old Trafford from Palace in 2013 but made just four appearances for United. He returns to the London club on a five-and-a-half year deal.

Schuerrle’s move showed Wolfsburg are ready to compete in the Bundesliga over the long haul.

After days of negotiations with the English club, Wolfsburg are believed to have paid a club-record 32 million euros ($A46.7 million) for the 24-year-old Schuerrle, who signed on a contract with Wolfsburg until 2019.

The Schuerrle fee surpasses the 22 million euros Wolfsburg paid about a year ago to Chelsea for Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. “Nowadays you have to pay this kind of money,” Wolfsburg general manager Klaus Allofs said after the deal was done.

“We want to achieve our goals.” The 2009 champions Wolfsburg lie second in Bundesliga and beat champions and leaders Bayern Munich 4-1 on Friday.

Andre Schurrle.

They trail Munich by eight points and want to return to the Champions League next season.

Wolfsburg registered Schuerrle on the German Football League’s transfer list by the midday deadline as negotiations continued with Chelsea to complete the deal on the last day of the January transfer window.

Schuerrle moved to Chelsea in 2013 from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of some 22 million euros.

Struggling SV Hamburg, meanwhile, completed the signing of 28-year-old Chile midfielder Marcelo Diaz from Basel.

Diaz, who was a member of Chile’s 2014 World Cup squad, joins Hamburg for an estimated fee of 2 million euros on a contract until 2017.

“I want to help Hamburg stay up and I am certain we will achieve that,” Diaz said.

VfB Stuttgart, who are also in a relegation fight, confirmed the signing of Ivory Coast international Geoffroy Serey Die, who is currently playing at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The 30-year-old defensive midfielder also arrives from Basel on a contract until the end of June 2017.

Stuttgart sports director Robin Dutt said: “He is a player with international experience who will soon fit in here and who with his uncompromising playing style will bring more stability to our game.” Brazilian striker Deyverson, 23, joined Cologne on loan from Portuguese side Belenenses.

In Italy, Juventus allowed Sebastian Giovinco to join MLS side Toronto FC early Monday as it re-signed Alessandro Matri on loan. Giovinco was due to link up with his new Canadian club in July, once his Italian contract expired, but Juventus confirmed the five-foot-four forward has ended his time in Turin on the final day of the transfer window.

Originally published as Chelsea sign Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina but lose Andre Schurrle to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg