Arturo Vidal is having a mixed Copa America tournament. In between turning up strong performances for Chile, Vidal also had a bad drink and drive accident. In between notching up man-of-the-match performances, he got the attentions of Arsene Wenger.
This is not to say that Wenger got interested in Vidal only at this year’s Copa America. Far away from that – Vidal is one of those players who were always of interest to Wenger. For that matter, Vidal interested Manchester United to an extent that they were close to bidding last season.
All that to one side as this transfer window saw rumours flying left right and center that Vidal is ready to join Arsenal. Putting the pros and cons aside, people started talking about his proximity to Alexis Sanchez and used it as a key pointer for the transfer.
Then, of course, there were discussions on where he would fit. Before all the euphoria reached a crescendo, unconfirmed reports put that the interest in Vidal can be considered dusted.
David Ornstein of the BBC tweeted that Arsenal are no longer interested in the Chilean midfielder. There was an equally emphatic endorsement of the non-interest from Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph.
Will this be a setback? Actually, to be very frank, this may be a blessing in disguise for the fans. Getting Vidal may be a statement in the mold of Petr Cech transfer. But, it will give an unwanted headache. The options in the middle of the park are good enough for Wenger to concentrate on other areas.
His long term injury concerns are also difficult to overlook. The Bender brothers Lars and Sven from Germany could be more realistic players in that perspective. Then of course is the long standing interest in William Carvalho.
The names could go on if we look at options of adding a solid defensive midfielder to Arsenal. But, one thing is for sure. The jury is still divided on Vidal. Getting him may be a marquee statement for the club but missing him may not be a catastrophe.
In this context, it would not be heartbreak to see the interest in Vidal dying down. Spending in upwards of 20 million for Vidal may not resonate well in terms of investment. Better would be to look at younger options.
So, do you think it is good for the club to miss out on Vidal?