The name most synonymous with the 2014 summer transfer window has undoubtedly been Arturo Vidal. The Chilean midfielder who shined at the World Cup while still carrying an injury has been subject of a long-talked about move to Old Trafford. We’ve heard everything there is to hear about this, everything except the breaking news that he will join Manchester United. Vidal is reportedly an admirer of the club, and this has given pundits and fans alike a reason to believe he may be headed to United.
On the other hand, who in their right mind would come out and say Manchester United isn’t an admirable club? Recently, Louis Van Gaal hinted that he could be finished in the market for the summer, while Arsene Wenger has essentially promised that Arsenal are not finished in the transfer market. Furthermore, United have already signed a player in the exact same mold of Vidal in Ander Herrera. Am I saying Vidal will shock the world and join Arsenal this summer? Absolutely not. Am I saying it’s possible? Yes, and here’s why.
Vidal was quoted as saying he has a “beautiful friendship” with Alexis Sanchez. Both Chileans have expressed a strong desire for the other to join Barcelona or Juventus, and since the speedy winger won’t be joining Juventus anytime soon, this could be their only shot to play together at the club level. One of the reasons Calum Chambers joined Arsenal was the strong friendship he holds with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, while Mesut Ozil came to the Emirates partly because Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker convinced him it was the best place for him.
Arsenal are in the market for a top class defensive midfielder, but also have the financial firepower to make a deal like this happen. Vidal, who makes only 60,000 pounds a week right now, will demand Champions League football, something Manchester United cannot offer and cannot guarantee a year from now. Arsenal can. Furthermore, Vidal would be part of an ongoing project started by Louis Van Gaal in Manchester, while Arsene Wenger has recently adopted a “win now” strategy, and is prepared to shell out cash on the right players.
Tactically, Vidal would be a better fit for Arsenal than Sami Khedira, and brings a more established pedigree to the Emirates than William Carvalho. After three seasons in Madrid, Khedira has developed a hungrier desire to get forward and has lost some of the midfield discipline that saw him burst onto the scene in 2010 in South Africa. Carvalho is raw and showed it in the World Cup, as Miguel Veloso and Raul Meireles were favored in central midfield over him. Vidal, on the other hand, brings the rarest of combinations in a midfielder; the ability to tackle relentlessly but also to get forward when the time is right, possessing the experience and quality to flourish on the biggest of stages.
The biggest wild card in this hypothetical situation is Arsene Wenger himself. Wenger has the uncanny ability to draw world-class talent, and only in the last 18 months have Arsenal given him the monetary tools to make his assessments of players worth making. Wenger has an excellent squad right now, but his squad’s biggest deficiency is in the deep-lying midfield.
Vidal likes to get forward and attack, but given Arsenal’s style of play, Wenger would likely deploy him deeper. In the World Cup, while carrying an injury, Vidal played in the middle third of the pitch and dictated the speed of play with his passing and positioning. With that being said, Wenger would give Vidal all the assurances in the world that he would be the top dog to occupy that area of the pitch, and likely making him the highest paid player at the club in the process.
It is highly unlikely Vidal would join Arsenal, but if he did, it would make total sense. I suspect the reason Manchester United (or any other team for that matter) is holding off on making a move for Vidal, who just returned from holiday, until his fitness and injury troubles that plagued him in Brazil are clearer. Last summer, I told a friend that the idea of my favorite player Mesut Ozil joining Arsenal was a “pipe dream at best,” and oh did Arsene prove me wrong. Similarly, I rubbished the Alexis Sanchez rumors, being so accustomed to Arsenal being linked to Solomon Kalou every summer. Once again, I was wrong, and given these two big money signings, Arsenal fans shouldn’t rule out seeing just about anyone play at the Emirates.
One of Arsene Wenger’s trademark qualities in the transfer market is keeping what he does quiet and discreet. Even after the fact, Arsenal rarely disclose any of their transfer fees once deals are done. In no way, shape, nor form am I declaring Arturo Vidal the next Arsenal star, but one has to believe that moving to North London makes a hell of a lot more sense than moving to Manchester United at the crossroads of this world class midfielders career.
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