Why Bayern Munich Must Sign Arturo Vidal to Boost 2015-16 Champions League Hopes

Bayern Munich may have looked like something resembling their old selves on Tuesday night against Barcelona, yet for many eagle-eyed fans there were plenty of factors to consider within Pep Guardiola's side and what the future holds for it. 

The most striking fact surrounding the Bavarian squad was the manner in which Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xabi Alonso and Philipp Lahm all began to slowly look their age against the youthful exuberance of Barca's attacking midfield and forward line. 

Among the ever-changing backdrop of European football and its constantly refreshing star-studded super squads, Bayern did at times look like a team that have lacked investment in certain areas of the team. 

Such a comment may undoubtedly lead to many Bundesliga fans coughing up their lunch. How can a side that brought in Juan Bernat, Robert Lewandowski, Medhi Benatia, Sebastian Rode and indeed Alonso lack anything in their squad? 

Well for a start, none of these players really addressed the biggest problem facing this current Bayern squad at the moment: the ageing of its two key players, Schweinsteiger and Lahm. 

Of course, Guardiola did bring in two central midfielders—Rode and Alonso—yet the latter is at the very best a stop-gap between one season and the next, while the former, despite some good performances this season, is in no position to take over the reins from his two fellow German internationals. 

Gabriel Pecot/Associated Press

No, Bayern need an internationally proven central midfielder who can walk into this Bundesliga-winning side and improve it almost immediately. If Guardiola's side are in fact fully intent on winning the Champions League next season, they'll need the services of Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal. 

The Allianz Arena will, of course, remember the Chilean international well. Before moving to the Italian giants Vidal made his name at Bayer Leverkusen as one of the brightest box-to-box talents in Europe and was even on the cusp of joining the Munich side before opting for Italy instead. 

Uli Hoeness, Bayern president at the time, was adamant that the Leverkusen player had given his word to join their club but then broke such a promise, according to Bild (h/t Goal.com), yet there's absolutely no doubt the German champions would welcome him with open arms four years on. 

What Vidal would bring to the side is the same tenacity in midfield that has made Schweinsteiger a European and world champion. With an engine that could run all day as well as the vital technical ability to succeed at this level, the Chilean international seems like a logical long-term replacement for a player unfortunately approaching the end of his career. 

As Vidal has proved with Juventus in the Champions League and his own national team in the World Cup, he has the ability to slot straight into Guardiola's team and bring something that has been lacking in Schweinsteiger's game—either through fitness or simply missing games through injury—for at least a season now. 

Where Bayern found themselves chasing shadows at moments throughout the two legs against Barcelona, while Alonso and Schweinsteiger struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, Vidal would have offered a perfect alternative and truly rustled some of the Catalonian side's feathers from start to finish. 

Some Bayern fans will be wondering why Javi Martinez can't do such a job. Signed as a defensive midfielder under Jupp Heynckes, the Spanish international has proved himself at the highest level as a box-to-box player for Bayern in the Champions League and even against Barcelona. 

However, despite his obvious talents, the 26-year-old is unquestionably a liability with regards to his fitness within Guardiola's team. Martinez has made just three appearances this season for Bayern and missed 17 the season before that. Sure, he may have played a vital role in that famous treble-winning squad during the 2012/13 season, but since then Martinez's injuries have undoubtedly got the better of him. 

Once we take the towering Spaniard out of the equation, that leaves us with very few options to add bite to a Munich side that will unquestionably need it if they are to trump the likes of Barcelona or Real Madrid next season.

Alongside Thiago Alcantara's playmaking and David Alaba's box-to-box running, Vidal would make for a fantastic final piece to a midfield trio that had all the promise and talent in the world. 

Bayern need to invest heavily this summer if they are to claim another Champions League trophy, and they could do a lot worse than picking up one of the brightest talents in European football this season.

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