It seemed like the least best kept Arsenal transfer rumour so far when it seemed all but certain that the Gunners were going to get the Juventus star Arturo Vidal as competition for Francis Coquelin next season, but now it seems very far from clear-cut at all.
Not only have other big teams become interested, like Real Madrid, but now the Juve boss Guiseppe Marotta has announced that the Champions League finalists have no intention of selling Vidal to anyone!
“I have no problem saying it,” Moratta said. “Arturo Vidal will stay at Juventus next season; he is a player too valuable to let go.
“We have nothing concrete from Real Madrid or other teams, but we know that several major clubs are watching the Chilean.
“I repeat, Vidal is a prerequisite for the organisation of team player and also for the economy of the club.
“We have no intention of putting him on the market.”
It is well known that during the transfer window many sellers may make declarations in the hope that they can persuade the buying clubs to increase their offers, but Moratta seems pretty clear that he wants to keep his team intact. It is no wonder considering they have just won their fourth Serie A title in a row and have reached the final of the Champions League.
So if Vidal is ruled out, who is our most likely target for DM now?