We take a look at why Chilean star Arturo Vidal, heavily linked with Manchester United, would be a bad fit for the Red Devils.
The rumour mill is gaining some real traction when it comes to Arturo Vidal and Manchester United, when the noise surrounding a possible £40 million move for the Chilean midfielder by the Red Devils getting louder and louder.
Vidal is undoubtedly a fine midfielder, one of the best players in his position in the world, but here at CaughtOffside we aren’t entirely convinced that he would be the wisest way for new manager Louis van Gaal to spend such a significant sum of money.
These five reasons, then, attempt to explain why United would be better off pushing their chips away from Vidal’s number – perhaps to a slightly deeper position.
Not too much room for improvement
At the age of 27, Vidal is a fairly late developer, having only hit the heights that he is currently operating at during the last three seasons in which Juventus have cruised to successive Serie A titles.
Vidal is now entering the prime years of his career which, for one school of thought, would make him a solid investment – but is is not the kind of signing that United have traditionally had success with.
Assuming that he would sign a contract of around five years at Old Trafford, Vidal would be well into his thirties and with little resale value by the time it expires, putting huge pressure on the Chilean to live up to his huge price tag during his spell at the club.
Definitely overpriced
Looking at some of the other transfers to go through this summer – notably Cesc Fabregas to Chelsea and the expected deal taking Toni Kroos to Real Madrid – have seen superior midfielders to Vidal move for smaller transfer fees.
United were linked with both players and, it is fair to assume, that the dreadful season that the Red Devils endured and lack of Champions League football will contribute to their inability to compete for some of the hottest properties in the transfer market, but there may well still be better value than Vidal out there to be had.
He plays in the wrong position
As Vidal’s displays for Chile at the 2014 FIFA World Cup proved, his move to Juventus has seen a transformation in the player from the more box-to-box minded man at Bayer Leverkusen to an out-and-out attacking player.
The systems, usually playing three at the back, that are employed by both his club and national sides, not to mention the presence of Paul Pogba in Turin, allow Vidal the freedom to play in this position.
At United this is unlikely to be the case – although Louis van Gaal has toyed with three at the back during his spell with the Netherlands it does not really fit the squad that he will inherit at Old Trafford.
It would step on the toes of Mata, Kagawa and Rooney
United are not short of players who play in the attacking midfield position, with big money January signing Juan Mata yet to find his finest form, Wayne Rooney arguably at his best in this position and Shinji Kagawa also still on the books at Old Trafford.
Spending such an eye-watering sum of money on a player in a position where United are already well stocked smacks of a Football Manager signing, rather than one tailored to United’s real life needs.
If United are to spend £40m on a midfielder then they would be well served investing it on a defensively minded player, a position where United currently have very little quality in the centre of the park.
The money is needed more in other position
United desperately need to bolster the centre of their defence, having seen experienced duo Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic both leave the club on free transfers this summer.
Having already spent big on central midfield, on Athletic Bilbao man Ander Herrera, it would surely be unwise for United to splurge on another player in this area before their other clear needs are met.