Arsenal are said to be lining up a surprise move to sign the Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, who looks set to be leaving Turin at the end of the season. Reports from the Italian source CalcioMercatoWeb further suggest that Arsenal already have a deal in place to bring the combative midfielder to the Emirates.
The Daily Express reports that the Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been alerted to the availability of the Chilean international after a reported offer from Liverpool, and will look to snatch him away from the clutches of Brendan Rodgers. However, what makes this story significantly credible is that Vidal has the same agent as the Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez, with whom Wenger shares a cordial relationship after having shook hands over a deal for the former Barcelona man last summer.
Reports from Italy suggest that Vidal will be allowed to leave by the Old Lady in a bid to hang on to their most coveted possession, midfielder Paul Pogba, who is a target for Real Madrid and Barcelona. Juventus are understood to value Vidal at around £25million and if sources in Italy are to be believed, Arsenal seem to have worked out a transfer fee in that range.
In addition to the fact that Vidal has the same agent as Sanchez, another factor that boosts the credibility of this story is that Wenger has been tapping into the South American market quite frequently as of late, the signings of Andre Santos, Sanchez, Gabriel and Ospina are all illustrations of the Frenchman’s advent into South American football. While reports of a deal already being struck may be a little hard to comprehend, I do believe that the interest is certainly there, given that it’s common knowledge that the player will leave Juventus this summer.
Personally, I would love him at the Emirates. The 27-year-old is very efficient in the tackle, good with the ball at his feet, has great work-rate and also possesses a good eye for goal. But above all, the Chilean is a someone who will come with a winning mentality and Arsenal most definitely need players who can bring that into the squad.
Anurag