Over the last few days there have been some new developments in this whole transfer mess involving Arturo Vidal.
Only a few days ago, many media outlets were reporting that the deal was nearly done. The rumor was that Manchester United would include Patrice Evra in the deal and then pay the rest out in cash. The deal seemed to have been relatively signed and sealed. That is no longer the case. Three different circumstances have now changed the whole scope of this transfer.
1) Juventus boss Antonio Conte has left the club. The Manchester Evening News are reporting that Conte has left the club because of the board’s decision to sell Vidal. However, Vidal is not the only big name player at Juve, so he may have left because an offer and deal may have been agreed over Paul Pogba. Conte could have had a falling out with the board over transfer policies in general. We simply do not know.
2) Juventus need a replacement. Both Vidal and Pogba are sought after players this summer and could both be leaving the club. Juventus want to make sure there is a player lined up to come in before they sell their superstars. Tottenham’s Paulinho has emerged as player that Juve may be interested in. So, perhaps that acquisition is holding up the deal for Vidal.
3) Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Marotta says the deal is OFF. Shortly after the departure of boss Antonio Conte, Marotta has come out and said that Vidal is not for sale and that he will not be joining Manchester United. Marotta had this to say about Vidal during the unveiling of the new manager.
“Vidal is not for sale, he is one of the most important players in the squad. Players always have the power in these cases but I spoke to Vidal yesterday and he’s happy to continue with us.”
What looks to have been a nearly done deal has been blasted wide open. Speculation will continue to surround Vidal throughout the summer. It is easy for Marotta to say he is not for sale, but it may become harder to say no to £40m.
From a Manchester United point of view, this would be a huge blow. Yes we have signed Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, but we still need a proven player controlling the midfield. Experience, tenacity, drive, passion, intelligence, all the things that the United midfield is lacking. We need a player to come in that has those characteristics. What I think we will now see happen is that Van Gaal will quickly move on to his next target. He is not like Moyes in the fact that he will not beg for a player and make this a bigger fiasco.
Van Gaal will not waste his time on players and clubs that give him problems. He will move on and sign someone else on his transfer wishlist. It will certainly be an interesting few days or so, because Van Gaal has just arrived in Manchester and his first order of business is being faced with this breaking news regarding a player he has wanted for many years.
Will the might of Van Gaal and power of Manchester United be too much for Juventus or will Marotta stick to his guns and keep Vidal for this season?
