Arsenal Transfer News: Arturo Vidal Talks Held, Latest Gonzalo Higuain Rumours

The presence of Fernando Felicevich, Alexis Sanchez's agent, at Arsenal's FA Cup final win over Aston Villa was always going to spark stories suggesting the Gunners will move for Arturo Vidal, another of his clients.  

This has now come to fruition with a report from Metro writer Jamie Sanderson, who cites "reports in Italy" when discussing Vidal's future. According to Sanderson, "Arsenal officials spoke with Felicevich about Vidal after the match," with the club remaining "keen" on the Juventus midfielder.

A fee of £28.5 million is touted for the player, a remarkable cut from the stories indicating his £40 million worth last year. Vidal has two years remaining on his contract, per Transfermarkt, and he has returned to fitness after niggling injuries and continues to successfully lead Juve's midfield, so anything less than £30 million would be an excellent price in the current market.

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However, Serie A specialist David Amoyal expects the player to remain in Turin due to the likely sale of Paul Pogba, as revealed in response to a question on Twitter:

Vidal is capable of slotting into most elite teams. He combines a workhorse nature with quality on the ball, so he is well-rounded and entertaining to watch. The Chilean can score wonder goals and crunch opponents out of possession, and he is capable of dictating tempo with his passing range.

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His arrival at the Emirates Stadium would likely knock Francis Coquelin—who established himself in manager Arsene Wenger's lineup during the latter half of the 2014-15 campaign—out of the team.

Wenger has also been linked with Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, as reported by Italian outlet Calciomercato (h/t Sanderson). Alongside this, Bruce Archer of the Daily Express and Alex Crook of the Daily Star, citing an interview on a Kenyan TV show, report possible moves for Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama of Southampton, respectively. Although the arrival of one is possible, the defensive midfield isn't the only area Wenger needs to strengthen.

The club's reoccurring link with Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has appeared amid news he is "unhappy" with the departure of manager Rafa Benitez, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express). 

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Gazzetta (h/t Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror) reports Higuain and team-mate Mariano Andujar were "attacked" by a "group of 15 thugs" on Sunday after the team failed to capture Champions League football with the 4-2 defeat to Lazio. Higuain missed a vital penalty in the match, which saw Napoli battle from 2-0 down before eventually losing.

He did, however, score both goals for the Naples-based side. Higuain netted 18 Serie A strikes throughout the campaign and remains clinical when presented with an opportunity, per WhoScored.com:

Gazzetta's report (via Chapman) indicates Nicolas Higuain, Gonzalo's brother and agent, will meet Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis "to force a move to England, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all said to be interested." A hefty fee of £37 million is touted for the 27-year-old.

B/R UK's Andy Brassell recently outlined a number of less obvious targets Arsenal could try to sign during the summer:

Vidal and Higuain are top-quality players and globally recognised to rank among the best. They are equipped to perform well in the Premier League, a division they are both regularly linked with. Quality, not quantity, should be the main focus of Wenger's summer acquisitions, making both players viable. 

Even so, both stories feel opportunistic and inevitable due to the circumstances surrounding them. Vidal just so happens to be linked with Arsenal when his agent arrives in England to support another client, while Higuain's reported unrest automatically sees him paired with the Gunners.

Few Arsenal fans would complain if either arrived, especially as the north London club look to launch a genuine challenge for Chelsea's title.