Chelsea Transfer News: Arturo Vidal Rumours Dismissed by Jupp Heynckes

Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes has insisted Arturo Vidal is not going anywhere amid speculation Chelsea are keen to sign him.

The midfielder has been linked with a possible exit in the January market, and Heynckes was asked whether there has been any approach from the Blues during the team’s midseason training camp in Qatar.

"There's no contact between Chelsea and Bayern," he said, per Joe Wright of Goal. "We won't sell Arturo Vidal or any other player during the winter market."

When asked about Vidal, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who worked with the player at Juventus, said, "I'd always want him with me," according to Wright's report.

Bayern have been strongly linked with a move for Schalke 04 midfielder Leon Goretzka as of late, and journalist Raphael Honigstein suggested Goretzka's arrival could spell the end of Vidal’s time in Munich:

Vidal has been one of the most dominant midfielders in world football for a long time now, enjoying incredible success at both Juventus and Bayern.

The 30-year-old is a well-rounded player. He’s strong in possession, has limitless energy and is dynamic in every action he takes on the pitch. Vidal is the kind of character who inspires others with his approach and enriches the game of team-mates.

As we can see courtesy of the UEFA Champions League Twitter account, he has also chipped in with some important goals this season:

He’s a winner, too, having won four titles with Juventus, two Bundesliga’s with Bayern and two Copa America titles with Chile. 

Conte is evidently aware of how influential a player Vidal can be at his best and was gushing in his praise of the player when talk of interest emerged again last month, per Liam Twomey of ESPN FC:

Although Bayern have incredible depth in midfield, the departure of Vidal, especially having seen Xabi Alonso and Philipp Lahm retire ahead of the campaign, would be a blow to the side.

The midfielder appears to be tailored to play English football, as he meshes combativeness and class so effectively. However, Chelsea have a lot of options in this area of the field already.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Indeed, the Blues signed Ross Barkley, who can operate in a deeper midfield berth, from Everton on Friday. Already Antonio Conte has the likes of N’Golo Kante, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Cesc Fabregas and Danny Drinkwater to call upon, too.

If Vidal were to leave Bayern, there’d be plenty of suitors. While his form has been a little up and down this term, he should be in the peak years of his career. Clearly, he still has something to offer at the highest level.

It’d be fascinating to see him in the Premier League, especially under a manager like Conte who knows how to get the best out of Vidal. However, with Heynckes set to step aside at the Allianz Arena in the summer, it’s unlikely Bayern will make any big decisions on key player sales until a new coach is in place.