Premier League outfit Liverpool are finally back in the Champions League this season after three long years and Jürgen Klopp, their manager, is sweating to try and improve the squad this summer. They have failed to land one of their top transfer target Naby Keita this transfer window but they seem to be determined to add another midfielder to their armoury before the deadline day.
Even as they continue to monitor Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, they are now linked to Bayern Munich star Arturo Vidal in a bizarre transfer story.
Vidal wants out of Bayern
Reports from a trusted news outfit World Football Index claimed that Liverpool are monitoring the Chilean international as an alternative for Naby Keita this summer. However, the rumour caught some weight today after sources from Italian news outfit Calciomercato claim that Vidal is now ready to quit the Allianz Arena.
The story claims that Arturo Vidal is in search of a new challenge this season and wants to quit Bayern before the deadline day. Italian outfit Inter Milan are also interested in his services but is he an option for Liverpool?
One of the best in the business
The 30-year old central midfielder is still at the top of his game and has helped his national side win two Copa America titles in the last two competitions. He won the Bundesliga title last season and is one of the most influential midfielders around in Europe at the moment.
He has 174 Bundesliga appearances, 124 Serie A appearances, 46 Champions League appearances and 95 international appearances to his name in his career and is one of the most established stars at the moment. Strong and versatile, Vidal is a box to box midfielder with loads of energy to burn in every game.
He is a master at making late runs into the box and his aggressive approach is tailor-made for the English game. He is dynamic and can sit back and defender when needed but is a huge asset when his side dominates the game.
First choice for Liverpool
So it will not come as a surprise that a player of his calibre will walk into the first team at Anfield. Klopp is expected to use Jordan Henderson and Emre Can as the deepest of the midfielders this season but Arturo Vidal is a genuine upgrade, albeit only for a year or two.
He will allow Klopp to use a two-man midfield that will see Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho play a more central attacking role or can use him as a CDM in a 4-3-3 formation that he has preferred so far in England.
Vidal is a match winner but at 30, he is not a long-term option. However, he will not cost over the moon and could be a nice bargain for Liverpool, who will need such established names to make an impact in the elite competition in Europe.