How Bayern Munich's Arturo Vidal Is on Track to Be the Transfer of the Season

When Bayern Munich sold Bastian Schweinsteiger to Manchester United last month, it caused a rift among fans. Some understood that it was a sensible move, given the player's injury record and competition within Pep Guardiola's squad. Others lamented selling the local lad and Germany captain, who had become a club and national icon during his 17 years with the Bavarian giants.

Those dissenting over the Schweinsteiger sale were surely pleased 15 days later, when Arturo Vidal's move to the Allianz Arena was confirmed. Four years after narrowly missing out on the Chilean, who joined Juventus after Bayer Leverkusen refused to sell to a domestic rival, Bayern finally got their man.

Perhaps it's because he was expected to have an immediate impact due to his experience at Juventus and in the Bundesliga, but Vidal hasn't received nearly as much hype as fellow Bayern newcomer Douglas Costa. Yet the hard-nosed midfielder may yet be the best transfer of the 2015 summer window, and one in the region of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben in terms of value added to the Bayern squad.

Already, Vidal has shown his range of qualities for Bayern. He was instrumental in the the DFB-Pokal win against Nottingen, scoring the opener from the penalty spot and assisting Mario Gotze for Bayern's second after the hosts had equalized.

Even playing against fifth-tier opposition, Vidal played extremely aggressive football, characteristic of the "warrior" nickname he's earned over the years. That kind of aggression can get him into trouble (he was booked after just seven minutes in that game, as well as eight minutes into his competitive opener against Wolfsburg), but it has largely been missing since Mark van Bommel left Munich in January of 2011.

At the same time, Vidal is very different from Van Bommel in that he is much more than a destroyer; he's a complete package in midfield who can both distribute the ball as a midfield "general" and score.

Against Nottingen and off the bench in a friendly against Dresden on Monday night (in which he raced into the penalty box to score Bayern's third goal), he was more of an attacking figure. In the Bundesliga opener against Hamburg, however, he played as a distributor in the absence of Thiago Alcantara, making 139 touches, per the Bundesliga's official English Twitter account, and distributing the ball primarily horizontally as he completed 120 of 127 attempted passes, according to FourFourTwo.

Vidal is a multitalented player, and at this point, he has the maturity and understanding of football to apparently transition from one role to the next seamlessly. It's an invaluable characteristic that will see him retain a starting role regardless of Guardiola's tactics, while others move into and out of the starting lineup depending on what exact combination of central-midfield qualities the trainer is looking for in any given game.

For example, Thiago is brilliant with the ball at his feet, especially when he has one or two holding midfielders behind him. He can create play in the attacking third and distribute the ball well over short and long distances, and he is even a moderate threat on goal himself. On the other hand, he isn't nearly as adept when acting as a midfield anchor, as his physicality and defending abilities let him down. Similarly, Xabi Alonso is good with the ball at his feet (albeit primarily in deep positions), but he lacks the pace and agility needed to defend well.

Conversely, Philipp Lahm and Javi Martinez are excellent in defensive situations, but they lack the ability to penetrate opposing defenses effectively.

Vidal is a glorious combination of all desirable midfield qualities and is adaptable to just about any role and situation. And he's already showing it. He had more punch in attack when it was needed against a purely defensive Nottingen side, but he chose to let the more forward-minded players do the attacking against Hamburg when he was needed to move the ball laterally.

In the future, Vidal will undoubtedly be used from time to time in a screening role, helping the center backs by closing down space for opposing playmakers. This could be hugely important against top opponents, against which Bayern have struggled during the Guardiola era. And otherwise, he can be used in a box-to-box role that balances his range of skills, working as a secondary playmaker and distributor, an auxiliary attacker and a pressing ball-winner.

Costa has been a revelation and looks destined to do great things this season. At the same time, Vidal's potential contribution, although more expected and in areas less glamorous, is probably even more important to Bayern's claim to successes in the tougher games, be they against Germany's or Europe's elite.

Vidal has already adapted well, showing class in a diverse range of qualities and roles in which to use them. And his qualities will be especially suited for bringing Bayern to the next level. As such, he's well on his way to being the signing of the season in Germany and perhaps all of Europe.

@Mr_Bundesliga