Arsene Wenger Talks Arturo Vidal, More in Arsenal vs. Aston Villa FA Cup Presser

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted he is a fan of Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal amidst speculation the Gunners will move for the Chile international this summer.

Although the FA Cup clash against Aston Villa final looms large, the Frenchman was happy to talk transfers in his pre-match press conference. As noted by John Cross of the Daily Mirror, Wenger did reveal an admiration for the Bianconeri star, but admitted he’s not thinking about transfers at this juncture:

According to fichajes.net (h/t George Bellshaw of Metro) the Gunners will set aside £25 million to land Vidal this summer. The all-action Bianconeri man would be a superb addition for Arsenal, adding the industry and tenacity that have been so scarce in the club’s midfield for so long.

Here are the kind of qualities he could bring to the Emirates:

One man who used to be that kind of midfielder during his playing days was Tim Sherwood, who will be in the opposite dugout to Wenger at Wembley on Saturday.

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As we can see here, the Londoners were actually close to signing the former midfielder, who captained Blackburn Rovers to the Premier League title in 1994/95. But upon his appointment, Wenger decided against the transfer:

Sherwood has galvanised this Villa side and as they illustrated against Liverpool in the semi-final, when they perform to their very best, they’re a match for anyone.

Naturally, the Gunners chief was very complimentary about their upcoming opponents, per Arsenal's official Twitter feed:

As such, Wenger will have to ponder his team selection carefully. Although the Frenchman confirmed Danny Welbeck won’t be involved because of his ongoing injury problems, he refused to give too much away about which men are likely to make up his XI come cup final day, per James Olley of the London Evening Standard:

Wenger spoke about Welbeck at length, per audioboom:

After virtuoso displays in the Gunners’ final game of the season against West Bromwich Albion, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere will feel as though they may have done enough to get a place in the team.

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But as Wenger noted during the press conference, often it is the players coming off the bench late in the game who turn things one way or another:

The Arsenal boss was also asked about some criticism he received from Jose Mourinho. As noted by Oliver Todd of the MailOnline, the Chelsea boss made reference to a team, thought to be Arsenal, playing in a season from “January to April,” who score “beautiful goals” but how they couldn’t do so when “the bus comes along.”

But Wenger made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want to offer a response:

As the favourites, pressure will be on Arsenal to deliver on Saturday. After going 2-0 down to Hull City in the final last year they roared back into the contest in style and given how the majority of the current squad were there to experience the occasion, they should be in better shape this time round.

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It’s a view that Wenger certainly attests to ahead of the domestic-season’s finale:

While there will be undeniable disappointment in the Arsenal camp that they were unable to muster a Premier League title challenge of clout this season, winning another piece of silverware would add some gloss on the campaign. Indeed, for the supporters, it doesn’t get much better than seeing your side win at Wembley.

To continually win trophies can only help harden the club’s mentality when it comes to challenging for major honours too. Wenger will be hoping a win beneath the iconic arch on Saturday, backed up by a prosperous summer in the transfer market will help propel this team into the reckoning for Premier League glory next season.