All things going well, Arturo Vidal is expected to be an Inter player this week and be reunited with his former coach Antonio Conte. As per Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, the Chilean midfielder could even be in Milan today or tomorrow to complete his move.
Inter are confident to complete Arturo Vidal deal with Barcelona on this week. Just a matter of details. His contract until June 2022 is almost ready. ?? @SkySport #Inter #Barça #FCB
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 7, 2020
Despite 43 appearances for Barcelona last season, the 33-year-old has been deemed numerous to the club’s plans by newly-appointed boss Ronald Koeman.
Well, Barcelona’s loss could be Inter’s gain by far.
Vidal has little under a year left to run on his contract with Barcelona and could join the Nerazzurri on a two-year deal. Barcelona may demand a minor payment from Inter despite letting the midfielder leave for nothing, in a similar move to when Ivan Rakitic rejoined Sevilla earlier this week.
The move didn’t just come out of the blue but has actually been long in the pipeline. Inter have been long-term admirers of the Chilean and even made a move for him in the winter window.
Antonio Conte seems to have gotten his man and the pair will reunite to challenge their former side in a beautiful twist. You’re probably thinking – why exactly did Conte go all out for a 33-year-old?
Vidal Is a Perfect “Conte player” for Inter
Arturo Vidal’s peak years are past him. But that doesn’t mean that the midfielder is an ineffective player already. There is still a lot left in his tank but he just needs the right manager to bring the most out of him.
For Inter boss Antonio Conte, that will sound very familiar. The Italian has brought the most out of the Chilean like no one else ever has. He did that during their time together at Juventus.
Vidal was at Juve from 2011 to 2015. Playing in Conte’s trademark 3-5-2 shape, Vidal was the no-nonsense ball-winner in midfield. He found himself playing in front of Claudio Marchisio or Andrea Pirlo and just behind the creative force of Paul Pogba.
Playing in that area, he took the physical burdens off both Pogba and Pirlo or Marchisio. His physical approach helped the Juve midfield work in impressive cohesion and win the Serie A in every season under Conte. The Chilean could do the same at Inter and be in charge of the dirty work leaving Marcelo Brozovic and Christian Eriksen with more room to flourish. It could be more beneficial for the latter player.
A Leader In Midfield
From Nicoló Barella to Marcelo Brozovic, Inter already boast a lot of tacklers in midfield but none of them are exactly “leaders.” Vidal is well known to be bullish and never afraid to bark orders at players and be vocal when needed. Being a vocal manager himself, Conte would be watching a player with a similar attitude on the pitch. No surprise he’s all out for him.
Experience and Winning Mentality
More than once last season, Conte mentioned that the Inter squad were lacking players with a proper winning attitude. Having won titles all over Europe with Juventus, Bayern, and Barcelona, Vidal brings lots of experience playing and winning titles at top level. It could come in handy for the Nerazzurri in their quest to dethrone Juventus at the top.
Recent comments from Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti on Vidal pretty much sums up the whole transfer.
“Vidal is a player with great character and experience, so we’ll see what happens. We are talking about a player who can certainly take us up a level, and we are already at a good level.”
Despite his age at 33, the Chilean still has a lot to offer Inter. Even better that he won’t cost “much” as well.