The major winners and losers of Arturo Vidal’s shock move to Barcelona

Barcelona are not messing about this summer in their quest to bolster an already successful squad.

Having already signed Clement Lenglet, Arthur and Malcolm, the reigning La Liga champions have now added Arturo Vidal to their team ahead of the new season.

The Chilean joins the club on a three-year deal from German champions Bayern Munich for a fee reportedly in the region of £26.7m.

Vidal had been heavily linked with a move to Serie A side Inter Milan but, as they did to Roma with Malcolm, Barcelona have swooped in at the final moment to secure the midfielder’s signing.

But who are the winners and losers of Vidal’s move to Barcelona?

Winner: Ernesto Valverde

This summer was starting to look a tough one for Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde in the middle of the pitch.

The Blaugrana had already seen club legend Andres Iniesta leave after 22 years to join Vissel Kobe in Japan, with Paulinho shortly following him to the Far East in returning to Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande.

But in Vidal, Valverde has appeared to have got his man. Speaking shortly after the signing was confirmed, the Barcelona boss told reporters (via ESPN): “Vidal is someone we hope can add energy in midfield.

“We know he has a lot of experience. The amount of games he’s played for his previous teams is very good. He has a big presence and he doesn’t disappear on the pitch.

“At a club like ours, there’s room for everything, for all types of players. Some may appear not to fit at first, but we’re trying to enrich our team [with different profiles].”

Though Iniesta may be irreplaceable, Paulinho certainly is, and Vidal can be the perfect fit for Valverde’s Barcelona as they look to retain La Liga and push forward in Europe once more.

Loser: Inter Milan

For the second time this summer, Barcelona have used a Serie A team as their scouting network.

First, it was Malcolm, who had initially been set for a move to Roma. And now Vidal, after Inter Milan were heavy favourites to sign the Chilean.

According to reports in BILD, Inter had hoped to sign Vidal on an initial loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the season but the midfielder and his agent were only interested in permanent moves. And that was where Barcelona swooped in, waving a three-year deal.

Now, Inter have had to turn their midfield attentions elsewhere – with Luka Modric now high on their priority list. But it appears it will be a harder task in bringing the Croatian to the San Siro with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez quoting €750m for the World Cup Golden Ball winner.

Obviously, that will not be the fee to pay, but Madrid are evidently digging their heels in with Modric, as opposed to Bayern who were looking to offload Vidal.

Winner: Arturo Vidal

Vidal was looking for a new club this summer but it was always going to be a hard task to find one as big as Bayern Munich. But he managed it.

Turning down a move to Inter due to the initial temporary nature of their offer, Vidal must have been ecstatic to find Barcelona in for him offering a three-year deal.

Despite his age, Vidal could find himself a starter in the midfield once he gets up to speed, with Valverde intent on using him as a direct replacement for Paulinho.

Had the Chilean moved to Inter, he would have had to contend with the likes of Radja Nainggolan, Joao Mario, Marcelo Brozovic and Matias Vecino, among others, for a place in the starting line-up – not something the 31-year-old would have wanted to deal with.

Loser: Denis Suarez

It’s not been a good few weeks for Denis Suarez at Barcelona. The 24-year-old has been trying to find a place in the first-team squad since returning to Catalonia in 2016.

First, he had Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets in his way, and then Paulinho and Philippe Coutinho joined the fray last season to add to the competition.

Any hopes of finding more game time out on the wing had been brought to a halt following Malcolm’s signing, slotting in ahead of him but behind Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.

And if Suarez had looked at Iniesta and Paulinho’s departures as a potential way back into a central position, Vidal’s arrival will undoubtedly be a kick in the teeth.

Winner: Leon Goretzka

While one door closes in Barcelona, another has opened in Bavaria for Leon Goretzka.

The 22-year-old signed for Bayern Munich this summer after his contract with fellow Bundesliga club Schalke had run out.

Goretzka had turned down teams, including Barcelona, to sign for Bayern and following Vidal’s move to the Blaugrana, his decision is looking even better.

At Bayern, Vidal may have been a rival for a midfield spot under Niko Kovac, but with the Chilean now gone, Goretzka has a clearer path to continue his growth as a player – most likely in a key role from the offset.

Loser: Rafinha and Thiago Alcantara

Vidal signing for Barcelona has also ended a dream reunion of the Alcantara brothers.

Rafinha, who recently returned to the club after a loan spell at Inter Milan, had harboured hopes of brother – and Vidal’s team-mate – Thiago rejoining Barcelona from Bayern Munich.

But now, Thiago is unlikely to return to Spain given Barcelona’s new acquisition and Bayern’s lack of desire to send two players of similar position to the same club.

Also, Rafinha’s career at Barcelona may now be over, as he had already been on the periphery when sent to Inter in January.

The Brazilian international would have hoped the departures of Iniesta and Paulinho may have seen his chances of a squad place increasing, but Vidal’s arrival may be the final nail in the coffin.

Winner: Sergio Busquets

With Paulinho leaving after just one season, Sergio Busquets may have been looking around the squad at Barcelona and wondering where his defensive help would be coming from this season.

The Spaniard is one of the best midfielders in the world at the moment and has been for some time after growing year by year at Barcelona.

But even the best need some backup, and Vidal can provide that at Barcelona, holding deep alongside Busquets while the club’s more attacking players wreak havoc on opposition defences.

Last season in the Bundesliga, Vidal averaged 4.3 tackles won per 90 minutes and 1.7 interceptions as well as an 88.5% pass accuracy in his 22 games.

In comparison, Paulinho managed 1.8 tackles won per 90, 0.7 interceptions and 87.8% pass accuracy.

Loser: Barcelona

While some Barcelona fans, and Valverde, may look at Vidal’s signing in a positive light, the Chilean represents the club’s lack of any real recruitment strategy.

Vidal is now 31 and by the time his contract is up, he will be 34 and winding down his career.

As is the case with most players – Cristiano Ronaldo aside – Vidal will undoubtedly regress with age meaning Barcelona may only get one good year out of the Chilean before they have to look elsewhere for another option.

A year can be a long time in football, and some of the world’s brighter talents may not be on offer in the summer of 2019 for as cheap as they would be this season.

The Chilean also takes up Barcelona’s final non-EU spot in their squad, per La Liga regulations, meaning at 31 he blocks any further international transfers for the time being – joining Arthur and Malcolm, and confirming an imminent exit for Yerry Mina.

Vidal can be a good signing. Just a very short-term one.

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