Why Keeping Arturo Vidal in January Is Key for Juventus' Season

The 2014-15 season has been a relatively successful one for Juventus thus far, the Bianconeri sitting three points clear atop the Serie A standings. Massimiliano Allegri has stepped into the void left by the departure of Antonio Conte and thrived, initially simply maintaining the status quo established by his predecessor.

Over the past few weeks, the coach has begun to make significant changes to the formation and playing style of the reigning champions. In moving away from the back three—a move discussed in depth here—Allegri has made a switch many observers believed was long overdue.

With a 7-0 thrashing of Parma under their belts, Juve entered the current international break on a high, confidence soaring as they put some poor results behind them. Perhaps the one sour note to date has been the form of Arturo Vidal, the Chilean struggling to match his previous dominance.

The midfielder was constantly linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, per Jack de Menezes of The Independent, but remained in Turin. As January approaches, talk of an exit is likely to surface once again but, despite his poor form, it is imperative for Juventus that they hold on to Vidal.

While his displays this term have clearly been subpar, he remains an essential player for both the club and his coach. Allegri knows that the 27-year-old possesses qualities seen in very few other members of his squad, his contribution to the Bianconeri irreplaceable no matter what fee his sale might deliver.

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Alongside Carlos Tevez, Vidal is one of the only Juve players able to single-handedly win a game for his side, capable of displaying the spark that can turn a result in their favour. Of his 11 goals last term, no fewer than seven were decisive to the result, winning a total of 19 points as the Old Lady marched to the title.

Only Tevez (21) scored more goals than Vidal’s total of 18 in all competitions, with five of those coming in the Champions League. A vital goal against eventual champions Real Madrid helped the Bianconeri earn a draw with the Spanish giants, and a year earlier he impressively netted in both meetings with Chelsea.

Indeed, Europe’s elite competition has seen the Chile international raise his game considerably when faced with the continent’s best sides. While Who Scored shows no player in Serie A averaged more tackles than his 4.1 per game in 2013-14, the same source also highlights the fact that figure rose to 4.7 in Champions League matches.

A closer look at those statistics shows his contribution improved across the board, with his figures for shots per game, interceptions, clearances, passes per game and completed dribbles all rising compared to his Serie A tallies.

He has repeatedly lifted the Bianconeri to results they would otherwise have not achieved, and will be vital as they seek to qualify for the knockout phase in the coming weeks. Once there, his impact will be needed even more as the opponents become increasingly difficult to overcome.

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With Allegri telling reporters at his inaugural press conference “that Juventus must be among the top eight teams in Europe,” (per the club’s official website), it is clear the club needs Vidal in order to achieve that aim.

Selling him at any point would be seen as a negative move for the Turin giants, depriving themselves of a player of the highest calibre. Yet robbing themselves of his services in mid-season appears even more nonsensical, with any replacement lacking the time to become accustomed to life with the Italian champions.

With time to heal over the winter break, the impact of his troublesome knee should appease, while the player will also have chance to catch up on work he missed over the summer. If he can improve steadily as the campaign continues, Juventus will reap the rewards of keeping Arturo Vidal and show why selling him in January would be a grave such mistake.