Who Would Arsenal Fans Want? Schneiderlin Or Vidal?
With Arsenal continuing their search for a defensive midfielder to compete with Francis Coquelin, there have been quite a few names that have come up in the rumour mill. But probably the most credible of those is the Gunners’ interest in Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin and Juventus’ Arturo Vidal. The credibility is based on the fact that both players will be leaving their respective clubs this summer and will be available for around £25 million, a price range that Arsene Wenger will be comfortable paying.
Considering that the Frenchman seems to be monitoring both players, who would the Arsenal fans like to have at the Emirates? It’s a difficult choice really, looking at the fact that both players are very well established in European football and both players are more than capable of coming in and doing the job for Arsenal. The Chilean however, is more experienced and slightly more established than the Frenchman.
But for me, Schneiderlin seems to be the safer buy, largely based on two reasons. Firstly, he’s tried and tested in the Premier League and is already one of England’s stand-out midfielders. We’ve all seen instances in the past where central midfielders with a big reputation in foreign leagues come to England and struggle to adapt to the Premier League.
Second, Arturo Vidal is very injury-prone. The combative midfielder has suffered a number of long-term injuries in the recent past and considering the physicality of the Premier League, there is a chance that he may spend long periods on the treatment table. There is no doubt in my mind that the player is world-class but any potential deal struck for him may be a bit of a gamble, but Schneiderlin will be a safe bet.
Anurag