Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal has earned a lot of respect from Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte, whom he played under at Juventus from 2011-2014. Vidal has recently been linked in transfer rumors to Chelsea, as the Chilean’s current contract is set to expire at the end of next season.
Conte would not comment on stories that claim Chelsea have made an approach for Arturo Vidal, but he did openly state his desire to have the midfielder on his team.
“I must be honest, it’s not right to talk about a player from another team – especially if you try to link this player with us,” Conte said after Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
“But (Vidal) is a fantastic player. I have a great respect for Arturo, and we spent many years in Juventus together. ‘If we go to war, I’d always want him with me.”
Chelsea would be seeking a contract worth £250,000 per week, according to La Cuarta (h/t Metro). However, Bayern Munich would reportedly expect a fee of about £60 million for the player. Vidal was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer of 2014, with transfer speculation hitting a fever pitch that August.
He stayed put obviously, and then moved to the Bundesliga the following season. There is no doubt that Arturo Vidal would be a major asset at Stamford Bridge, even despite the Blues’ strength in the middle of the park.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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