Opinion: Do Arsenal Really Need This Tough Tackling Serie A Superstar?

The need for Arsenal to make a statement in the transfer window seems to be gathering steam, after the signing of Petr Cech, which will solve their goalkeeping problems, the club wants to clear up another problem area before any other business is done.

Vidal To Arsenal?

Arsenal have lacked a midfielder who can tackle and be a menace to the opposition, someone like Patrick Vieira for years and they have earmarked Juventus’ Arturo Vidal to fill that role. Vidal is currently away in Copa America duty with Chile but seems likely to complete a move away from the Turin club once a proper transfer fee is agreed on. Arsenal do have a lot of midfielders in their books and bringing in the tough Chilean would be great business for the strength of the squad but do they really need him?

A tough tackler and a great ball player

The one thing that Arturo Vidal can do which most defensive midfielders can’t do or have a lack of ability in doing is passing the ball around, and not those short passes to the closest player who is like 5 yards away at the most. Vidal has a great range of passing which would be an added bonus for a team like Arsenal, the quick attacks would be accentuated with the vision and passing ability that Vidal possesses.

Unlike Coquelin or Flamini, Vidal’s eye for a quick pass to start an attack is world class. But it isn’t just his passing that has made him one of the best players in his position, he has great control as well and is known to hold the ball well in spite of being pressured and harried by the opponent. This trait would make him ideal to play in front of Arsenal’s back four and would take away any pressure that they would have to deal with in terms of passing the ball away and starting an attack.

Strength and tackling ability are second to none for the Serie A player compared to the rest of Arsenal’s midfield and the added bonus of him scoring goals from almost any position in midfield would only add to Arsenal’s attacking threat. Vidal is a great finisher as well and takes the penalties for Juventus, he scored 11 goals last season for the Turin club and would certainly increase that tally if he were to sign for the Gunners.

At 28, he certainly isn’t the youngest player that Arsene Wenger might have targeted after the years he has spent at Arsenal but Vidal could be the one of the most important signings made by the Frenchman. Arsenal fans have been praying for the Premier League title coming back to the ‘Invincibles’ and with the signing of Vidal, that could the title could be one step closer to the gates of the Emirates.