Barcelona now favorites to sign Bayern Munich’s Arturo Vidal
Arturo Vidal is reportedly very close to leaving Bayern Munich, but not for Inter Milan. Barcelona are now favorites to sign the Chilean.
Arturo Vidal is set to be the first player sold by Bayern Munich this summer. The Chilean has been linked with a move away from the club throughout the summer and was reportedly very close to joining Inter Milan earlier this week.
Inter Milan are still interested in signing Vidal, but according to the latest report in Sport, Barcelona have taken significant steps to sign the former Juventus midfielder. The Spanish club is ready to buy the player straightaway for €30 million and have already agreed personal terms with Vidal as per this report.
This report has been confirmed by various other outlets, including Sky Italy. The Bayern squad is currently training at Tegernsee. Vidal has also joined the group,so it is unlikely that the move goes through today. The clubs are probably still negotiating the fee for the midfielder.
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Inter Milan reportedly wanted to sign Vidal on a one-year loan deal with an obligation to buy next season. This makes Barcelona’s offer — that would see Vidal join the Catalans permanently this summer — more favorable for Bayern.
Moreover, the player would also prefer a move to the Spanish giants over Inter Milan. However, selling a midfielder of Vidal’s caliber to a European rival might haunt Bayern in the Champions League.
Vidal joined Bayern Munich in 2015 from Juventus. The Chilean enjoyed an excellent debut season under Pep Guardiola. After the Spaniard’s departure to Manchester City, Vidal remained a key player under Carlo Ancelotti. Jupp Heynckes also valued him as a crucial player during his short stint at the club. His knee injury ahead of the Champions League semifinal tie against Real Madrid was a big blow for the German champions.
At 31-years-old, Vidal is on the decline in his career. Bayern Munich have already signed his replacement in the form of Leon Goretzka. Renato Sanches will also provide more depth to the midfield as he is set to stay in Munich this season. The Bavarians are doing the right thing by cashing in on Vidal, but strengthening a European rival is not ideal.
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Bayern Munich are likely to offload one more midfielder this summer. The future of Thiago Alcantara remains uncertain as the club is reportedly ready to listen to offers for the Spanish midfielder. Thiago reportedly wants to re-join Barcelona. However, after the signing of Vidal, that move is unrealistic for the Spanish club. Sebastian Rudy has also been lately linked with a move to RB Leipzig.