Arturo Vidal, the midfield dynamo from Chile is a mainstay in the middle of the park for Bayern Munich and has a playing style that makes him an ideal modern day midfielder. He is smart on the ball and has a peripheral range of distribution. However, what makes him a world class midfielder is the fact that he is an absolute nightmare to deal with when he is off the ball. He can cover every blade of grass on a weekly basis and has a knack for the outrageous shots from outside the box.
The Chilean is now being linked with a move to England with Chelsea and Manchester United ready to battle it out for the midfield dynamo. With Vidal’s current contract running out in 2019 and the player turning 31 this year, he is reportedly ready to exit Germany with Bayern Munich ready to bring in Leon Goretzka.
Of the many possible destinations for him, there are two in England who strongly want him. He could be going to Chelsea where he might possibly be reunited with his old boss Antonio Conte. The duo had worked together at Juventus winning three consecutive league titles and both remember their time together with great joy. There is also Manchester United where he can seek a union with his national teammate Alexis Sanchez.
In terms of fitting into Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 formation, Vidal would be versatile enough to play as a deep-lying midfielder or an attacking midfielder and hence provide multiple covers for the Italian manager. This would mean that there would be no dearth of game time for the Chilean and he could continue to be one of the stars in his new team.
With Chelsea’s lack of squad depth, having lost Nathaniel Chalobah to Watford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek on loan to Crystal Palace and with Tiemoue Bakayoko failing to impress, Vidal would bring in some much-needed strength to the squad and add a new dimension of midfield quality to the Blues lineup.
Chelsea has guile and finesse in midfield in terms of Fabregas and powerhouses in Kante and Bakayoko. However, Vidal would provide both sets of qualities and having him in the team would mean that Fabregas would be freed of his defensive duties completely and the Spaniard can then focus on honing his attacking skills.
With Vidal playing alongside Kante and with Antonio Conte looking to stick to his 3-back formation, the dual axis in the middle of the park for Chelsea will be on of great envy to the rest of the Premier League.
Vidal’s ability to tackle, pass and bully complimented with Kante’s experience of knowing when to sit back and when to push forward would make their pairing invaluable and Chelsea will get more time to bring young Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ross Barkley up to speed in the Premier League.
As for United, a player with an engine to run for 90 minutes would certainly shape the Red Devils midfield better. Although United have been linked with him, the arrival of Nemanja Matic in the summer will mean that he will not be a top priority for Jose Mourinho.
Currently, the Red Devils have Matic, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera and their French ace Paul Pogba in midfield. It will be difficult for Mourinho to adjust another midfielder into the side. United also have makeshift cover at the middle of the park in the form of Daley Blind and Phil Jones as well. Hence his move to Manchester United will allow United fans to see a midfield base with the defensive wall of Matic sitting behind the dynamo of Vidal and the explosive boom of Pogba.
It would have to be a tough choice for Vidal between United and Chelsea. Having already worked under Conte’s system before, it would be a new experience for him to step into Old Trafford but he would certainly be a bigger star at Chelsea than at United who already has Pogba to do most things Vidal would offer.
