Arturo Vidal is the perfect midfield signing for Juventus, but does he prefer a move to Bayern Munich?
Jul 19, 2011 9:00:00 AM
By Clark Whitney
Over the course of the 2010-11 season, Arturo Vidal emerged as one of the Bundesliga's finest central midfielders. The Chilean led Bayer Leverkusen to a second-place finish in the German top-flight, their best result since 2002. His versatility as a box-to-box No. 8, with equal skill in winning the ball and setting up plays at the edge of the opposition’s penalty area makes the former Colo-Colo man a rare talent.
It therefore comes as no surprise that Vidal has became one of Europe’s most coveted players in this summer’s transfer market. Bayern Munich have made no secret of their interest in the player, but Leverkusen have insisted that they will not sell their prized asset to a rival club. And now, Juventus have emerged as contenders for Vidal's signature after Goal.com Italy revealed on Monday that the player’s agent, Fernando Felicevich, will meet with representatives from the Turin side this week.
"We are willing to listen to offers higher than a certain amount...He will definitely not move to another German club."
- Rudi Voller to Express, July 11
For Juventus, Vidal would be the perfect signing to replace Felipe Melo, who is headed for an exit after being left out of the club’s north American tour. With coach Antonio Conte set to utilise an aggressive variant of the 4-4-2 formation that borders on 4-2-4, he will need not just stability in possession, but energy from his defensive midfielders. New signing Andrea Pirlo will provide the former, but given his style and advancing years, the 32-year-old needs a complement to deliver the latter. And of all players in world football, few can match Vidal’s terrier-like intensity.
At Juve, Vidal could adopt the role of 'free' defensive midfielder, with the option of roaming ahead of the anchor Pirlo to provide support in the gap behind the strikers. The tireless Chilean would have to be mindful not to leave his partner alone to defend, but he has the work rate and experience from the quick-paced Bundesliga to avoid compromising his position.
VIDAL ON JUVENTUS MOVE
"I have to think about my future and Juve’s offer represents an excellent opportunity."
-Vidal to reporters, July 11
"These two teams [Juventus and Napoli] are top European clubs."
-Vidal to TZ, July 13
"My agent is in Italy to talk with Juventus, a club that I like very much."
-Vidal to Tuttosport, July 19
The key advantage Vidal has over his competitors is the versatility he offers. At any depth or breadth of the pitch, he chases the ball like a terrier: over the course of a game, it is not uncommon for him to approach 150 touches of the ball, and engage in 30 challenges. For perspective, this means ball contact on average every 36 seconds, and a tackle every three minutes. During his career the only outfield position in which he has not played is that of striker, although it is in the centre of the park - the area of most action - where he excels the very most. In the attacking third his control and creativity are showcased, as exemplified by his 12 goals and 13 assists last season. In deeper areas, he is a world class ball winner and assured distributor.
Vidal would be an improvement to the midfields of most teams in world football, but ultimately he will have to decide on one team to play for. His transfer saga has emerged as one of the most captivating - and most complex - stories of the summer.
Amid a flurry of reports, what has become clear is that at this time the two clubs seriously contending for Vidal’s signature are Bayern and Juve, who have or will conduct talks with the player’s agent.
In June, the player expressly announced his desire to move to Bayern, where he would have the advantage of immediately playing for a team contending for the Champions League. In spite of the continued insistence from Leverkusen that they will only sell the 24-year old to a team abroad, the Bundesliga record champions have remained remarkably confident that it is only a matter of time before he completes his move. The latest line from coach Jupp Heynckes is that the Chilean will sign either this summer for a fee, or join on a Bosman transfer next year.
"Arturo has assured me that he wants to come to Bavaria, and that he has his heart set on move to Bayern. If it does not happen this summer, it will next summer."
-Heynckes to Bild, July 9
Juve's interest has emerged in recent weeks, and with talks set to begin, Antonio Conte's side are quite serious about acquiring Vidal's signature. In response to rumours, the player has been receptive, if coy, over the possibility of a switch to Turin: he has not demanded a move to the Serie A side as he had to Bayern, but may be left with little choice but to join Juve after burning his bridges at Leverkusen. And by his own admission, that would not be a bad choice. The key lies in the Old Lady's offer to the player.
Further adding to the situation's complexity is the fact that both Vidal and Leverkusen have unilateral veto power to reject a transfer: only an agreement from both player and club can result in a change. In this regard, Juve would appear the most likely destination given Leverkusen's flat refusal to sell to Bayern.
However, with Vidal's contract set to expire in 2012, Bayer have almost no choice but to sell, meaning that the player could categorically refuse a move to any club other than his favoured destination. Ultimately, he has the power to force a move to Munich, provided Leverkusen are unwilling to keep him and allow his contract to expire.
Bayern are Vidal's favoured club, but the player appears to have turned his sights abroad after being denied a move. Still, anything can happen in the high-stakes poker game being played between the Bundesliga giants and Leverkusen. What is clear is that Juve have bought their chips and have sat down at the table. With the right hand, they could find themselves with a real ace as they enter the 2011-12 season.
VIDAL & MORE ON BAYERN MOVE
"Of course Arturo wants to go to Bayern, everyone wants that. We will do everything to ensure that it works."
-Felicevich to Bild, May 28
"I want to go to Munich. Now."
-Vidal to Bild, June 15
![Juventino[RUS]](https://www.juventuz.com/data/avatars/m/5/5409.jpg?1650619365){kind=avatar}
![Juventino[RUS]](https://www.juventuz.com/data/avatars/s/5/5409.jpg?1650619365){kind=avatar}
