Arsenal are ready to make a £21.3m bid for Arturo Vidal, Charles Perrin of the Express reports.
The Chilean has attracted the attention of many clubs this summer, including Manchester United, but with the Red Devils in pole-position to land Morgan Schneiderlin, makes Arsenal the front-runners for the midfielder’s signature, as they clamour for another marquee signing along the expected transfer of Petr Cech.
The back-to-back FA Cup champions may also have an advantage in their pursuit of the Juve maestro, in Vidal’s fellow countryman, Alexis Sánchez.
The pair are currently away at international duty for Chile in the Copa America, where La Roja have entered into the semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Uruguay, perhaps clouded by some unexpected fouls on the pitch, especially between Gonzalo Jara and Edinson Cavani. Quality still prevailed though, with the man dubbed ‘El Niño Maravilla’ winning the Man of the Match award for his performance. Sanchez is believed to have promoted the heights of England’s top tier to Vidal, and according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Vidal is keen to link up with the former Barça man at the Emirates.
Altogether, the hopefulness of Vidal moving to the 12-time FA Cup Champions instead of United or Manchester City may hinge on one thing – the bond between Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sánchez. Arsenal could definitely utilise the high-energy work-rate and versatility the CL finalist brings to his game, and as a result, he would be a catalyst towards an major Arsenal triumph.
