Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal is reportedly on the radar of Ligue 1 club Marseille, who are eyeing the Chilean as a possible replacement for Luiz Gustavo.
According to a report by Spanish publication Sport, Arturo Vidal is courting interest from French giants Marseille. The Ligue 1 outfit are eyeing a move for the Barcelona midfielder, amid rumours of Luiz Gustavo being set to depart the Orange Velodrome ahead of the September 2 deadline.
Vidal joined Barcelona last summer following a fruitful three-year spell with Bayern Munich. His maiden campaign at Camp Nou was a success to a great extent, with the Chilean only missing five games when fit and available. In 53 appearances across all competitions, he had a decent return of 3 goals and 7 assists.
But, Frenkie de Jong arrived at Barcelona this summer and that fact that Sergio Roberto is being viewed as a regular option in midfield means that the Vidal’s game time is set to be affected. As a result, the 32-year-old has been linked with a possible summer exit, with Inter Milan being named as one of the suitors. And, the latest club to be linked with Vidal are Marseille.
The Ligue 1 club are bracing themselves for the departure of Luiz Gustavo, who is reportedly poised to join Fenerbahce. In addition to Gustavo, Gregory Sertic is also linked with a late move away from the Orange Velodrome. As a result, Vidal has emerged as a viable target for Marseille.
Les Phoceens though, have a couple of obstacles in front of them before they can even hope to sign Vidal. Firstly, Barcelona have no intention of selling the experienced midfielder, with Ernesto Valverde still viewing him as an important member of his squad. Vidal came off the bench to score the La Liga champions’ final goal in their 5-2 rout of Real Betis.
Additionally, the player’s preference is a return to Italy in case he is to leave Barcelona this summer, although he would still favour staying put at Camp Nou. With these two hindrances, Marseille have a tall order so as to secure the services of Vidal and with less than a week left for the transfer window to slam shut, they might not have enough time to land their key target.
All things considered, it looks like Arturo Vidal looks set to stay put at Barcelona, meaning Marseille will likely have set their sights elsewhere to sign a replacement for Luiz Gustavo.
