Arsenal Should Reunite the Chilean duo of Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal

Arsenal have needed a defensive midfielder for quite some time, but when Francis Coquelin emerged, the dull roar to sign one faded to a murmur. However Arsenal are still linked to guys like Morgan Schneiderlin, and it makes me wonder: if Arsene Wenger is still in the market for a deep-lying midfielder with attacking capabilities, why haven’t we been linked to Arturo Vidal since last summer?

Vidal is the countryman of our new golden boy, Alexis Sanchez. But they’re more than just countrymen, the two are good friends – I mean, they have barbecues together:

And not only do they barbecue together and play on the same national team, but Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez also played together at Colo-Colo in Chile in the 2006/7 season. While it’s been almost strictly Manchester United that’s being linked to the big Chilean midfielder, I’ve been begging Arsene Wenger (personally, of course) to hijack Vidal since October. It just makes sense. If Wenger wants to use Alexis to wrangle in Charles Aranguiz (via FoxSPORTS), then why not use him to get the second most prolific Chilean player – Arturo Vidal?

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The chances of Vidal leaving Juventus are increasing, particularly with Paul Pogba becoming one of the best in the world. Now is the time to buy Vidal. He’s having a down year, he’s being pushed out of the spotlight by Pogba, and the Daily Star claims that reports are that he could go for the bargain price of 14 million pounds.

If that doesn’t sound appetizing, I don’t know what does.

But why would Arturo Vidal go to Manchester United when Arsenal could also benefit from his services? I understand he’s had knee problems and that may cause Arsene Wenger to shy away, but Vidal is world class. He plays with aggression and physicality while still providing an offensive threat.

Arturo Vidal has even admitted how much he’d like to play alongside Alexis Sanchez.

“We have known each other since we were kids, we were together at Under-20 level, we played together at Colo Colo and we have a beautiful friendship.” He told Las Ultimas Noticias (reported by Goal.com). “Of course I’d like to play with someone with whom I have shared something, but maybe he can come here.” (this was said before Alexis moved to Arsenal.)

The rumors are still hinting that Vidal could move from Juventus, and if the move is possible, than Arsenal need to be in on it. The accompanying chemistry that would come from uniting Alexis and Vidal would be an immediate boost to the team. And can you imagine a defensive midfield pairing of Arturo Vidal and Francis Coquelin? Or even just being able to start one and have one on reserve. Arsenal are always going to be involved in a lot of competitions and they need depth.

Arsenal’s midfield is a crowded spot, and with Jack Wilshere coming back, it’s only going to get more crowded. Therefore a midfielder may not be our top priority. But if we’re going after Morgan Schneiderlin, then I feel like going after Arturo Vidal is a necessity. Whatever his price may be, it can’t be much more than Schneiderlin’s and in my opinion, Vidal brings much more to the table, although he has yet to try his hand at the Premier League.

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A combination of Coquelin and Vidal would be perfect. It would be a pair that would fit perfectly together, whereas Mogran Schneiderlin would be a surplus to what we already have. Take a look at this chart for instance (provided by Squawka):

[table id=31 /]

As you can see, a combination of Coquelin and Vidal would be the best all-around combination. Their skill sets are complimentary. Coquelin provided a boost to midfield with his interceptions and tackling. Schneiderlin would provide an improved offensive weapon with a bit of a defensive drop off. That’s a good pairing. But Arturo Vidal would provide the same, except with much-improved offense and similar defensive drop off.

Therefore, I believe Arturo Vidal to be the man for Arsenal. Between the proven stats, the chemistry with Alexis Sanchez and the added pro of hijacking it from under Manchester United, it has no drawbacks. As I said before, this summer is the time to buy Vidal. He only has six goals and two assists on the year and could therefore be in the midst of a “down year.” He’s fresh back from a serious knee injury that he claims is 100%, he’s almost 28 and hungry for trophies and he wants to play with Alexis. It seems almost too perfect. Maybe the lack of rumors around the topic is a good thing.

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