Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Arturo Vidal and Antoine Griezmann Rumours

Bayern Munich star Arturo Vidal reportedly sits at the top of Antonio Conte's transfer wishlist if he becomes the next Chelsea manager.

That's according to Calciomercato (h/t talkSPORT), who said the Bavarians may be willing to listen to offers over £30 million for the powerful Chilean midfielder.

Vidal moved back to the Bundesliga last summer but has struggled in his first season with Bayern. His behaviour off the pitch has been heavily scrutinised, and on the pitch, he hasn't consistently found his best form.

Per DW Sports' Stefan Bienkowski, Bundesliga expert Raphael Honigstein put it best:

At his best, the 28-year-old ranks among the top box-to-box midfielders on the planet, capable of wreaking havoc on the defensive end and scoring outrageous goals just seconds later. He has an engine that never stops and loves to get involved in the dirty battles in midfield, but he's also a solid distributor of the ball.

His performances over the last couple of weeks have improved, and ESPN FC's Mark Lovell thinks it's not a coincidence his best showings came in some of Bayern's biggest matches:

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The extra motivation of impressing his former club also helped in Vidal's resurgence in the New Year. The 28-year-old thrived in his return to Turin in the Champions League first leg against Juventus. With the tie tantalisingly poised at 2-2, he looks primed for the second leg against the Old Lady in Munich next Wednesday.

Vidal also flourished during Bayern's most meaningful domestic match of the season. He could so easily have been the match-winner in Saturday's much-hyped Klassiker in Dortmund when his fierce shot rattled the crossbar just after the hour mark. On closer inspection, only an amazing reflex save from Dortmund keeper Roman Burki denied him a certain goal and Bayern a precious lead.

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Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Conte was the man who turned Vidal into one of the world's most coveted midfielders during his time in Turin, and per Calciomercato, the two maintain a strong relationship. The Italian will be looking to add players he loves to work with if he does become Chelsea's next manager, and Vidal would be a solid option.

But Bayern will also be changing managers next summer, and while Vidal has struggled to find a fit in Pep Guardiola's intricate system, the Germans will likely wait and see if he finds more consistency under new manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Antoine Griezmann Contract Issue Reported

Juan Aguado/Getty Images

According to Madrid-based daily AS (h/t Metro.co.uk's Tom Olver), Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann is unwilling to sign a new deal with his current club if that means his buyout clause would increase.

Per the report, Atletico want to push his clause to a whopping £115 million, nearly double his current clause, which sits at £62 million. And while Griezmann isn't looking to leave the club anytime soon, he would like to keep his options open, and that's creating a “block in negotiations,” according to Sport Witness.

The former Real Sociedad star has emerged as Atletico's top attacking options in the last 18 months, drawing the attention of a host of clubs, including Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United, according to Olver.

Here's a look at his highlights:

The 24-year-old has evolved into a fantastic striker after spending the early part of his career playing mainly as a winger, and at this point, it has become clear his best role lies in the centre of the pitch.

He lacks the pure strength to play as a single striker in Chelsea's preferred 4-2-3-1 system, but Conte, on whom we touched earlier, has already shown his tactical versatility and has plenty of experience working in systems involving two strikers.

ESPN FC's Miguel Delaney is a fan:

Even if Griezmann and Atletico can't agree on a new deal, the Spanish club will be unlikely to part with the Frenchman unless his full buy-out clause of £62 million is hit. He may just be worth such an enormous fee, but clubs will be wary of shelling out such a sum regardless.

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