For several weeks now Manchester United have been reportedly closing in on Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal from Italian club Juventus. The Daily Star are today reporting that the English club will have to offer £45 million plus winger Nani if they are hoping to sign the midfielder.

If Manchester United go through with the deal for a fee of £45 million plus Nani, in pure cash terms it makes him the third most expensive midfielder of all time, behind Zinedine Zidane and Kaka. The rumours for this transfer was fuelled hugely by Louis Van Gaal’s admittance that he has always highly rated the central midfielder claiming "I always wanted to buy Vidal when he was at Bayer Leverkusen but he went to Juventus."

Last month, reports from Italy claimed that a bid of only £35 million, would be enough to claim the Chilean central midfielder and allow Louis Van Gaal to continue his revolution at Manchester United. Vidal himself has yet to openly state he will not be moving from Juventus stating bluntly last month, “After the World Cup we will see what will be my future.”

With the high transfer fee for Arturo Vidal, Manchester United are looking at other options including William Carvalho and are still keeping tabs on Dutch midfielder Jordy Clasie but bids for neither player have been made. Van Gaal is also reportedly in for long-term target Kevin Strootman but these rumours have died down over the last couple of weeks.

According to the majority of English national papers such as the Guardian, The Daily Mail and now the Daily Star Louis Van Gaal is desperate to improve the Manchester United central midfield position. He is reportedly of the belief that this is the weakest position for his new side and they will have to improve here if they are to climb the table back to where they so often turn out to be. Van Gaal is also well known for his two altering passing systems during his managerial career. Both fast and furious or a less in depth version of ‘Total Football’. But with Arturo Vidal being Juventus’ main player and the key to their midfield, Juventus will fight tooth and nail to to keep their star man,

Since joining Juventus Vidal has won the Serie A three times, the Supercoppa Italiana twice and on an individual note has won the awards Juventus player of the year for the 2012-2013 season and Serie A’s team of the year in 2012-2013.   

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