Now it is all over. The rush to sign Porto forward Jackson Martinez can now be put to rest with the news that the Colombian striker has signed a four year contract with Spanish club Atletico Madrid.
For a long while, clubs across the continent were linked with the proven striker. Even this summer there were reports that AC Milan were close to striking a deal with Martinez. Arsenal were long time admirers of the poacher and Wenger always wanted to add quality to his ranks.
But, Atletico wanted to build a side around Martinez and he was swayed by the project. This may mean another loss for Wenger but truth be told, Martinez to Arsenal was never going to be more than a rumour.
However, there is more news and interesting link ups. The most exciting of those is the news in Daily Star that Arturo Vidal was ready to move to Arsenal. The Emirates club reportedly “have been handed a major boost” in their pursuit of this all-action midfielder.
All this stems out of the fact that the Italian Champions Juventus captured Roberto Pereyra from Udinese. The playmaker was signed in a £10 million deal and was announced on the official website of the club. This is being seen as a clear note that the champions are preparing for the departure of Vidal.
Arsenal have been tracking the Chilean for many transfer windows now and are interested; of course they are not alone. Manchester United is also credited with a strong interest which went very close in the last summer. However, Arsenal was also strongly interested from the beginning and their have been many stories linking us with Vidal, and in one case a journalist reported that Vidal would definitely be coming to the Emirates after the Copa America…
The presence of his close friend and national colleague Alexis Sanchez in Arsenal is great incentive for Vidal. The prospect of joining his compatriot in North London should be welcome news for the brilliant midfielder. Will he improve the Arsenal side? Tremendously!
For starters, Arsenal fans are craving for an all-action midfielder who can run the strings from the middle of the park. After Patrick Vieira, not having a strong presence in the midfield has been hurting the Gunners. It is too early to say if Vidal will be a hit in the Premier League. However, on the contrary, there are no reasons why he wouldn’t be able to flourish.
Long story short – if the rumors are true to be believed then it will be an interesting move. Juventus are also preparing for the eventual departure of Vidal and this seems to be a wonderful chance for Arsenal to move in. Who knows, Vidal could be the key to the long awaited EPL crown.