Arturo Vidal Set to Fly to Milan to Seal Inter Switch
By Tom Gott
Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal is set to fly to Milan on Sunday to seal a reunion with former boss Antonio Conte at Inter.
Vidal was swiftly shown the exit door by new manager Ronald Koeman, who made it clear that the 33-year-old did not feature in his plans for the upcoming season, and there were even suggestions that Barcelona could terminate his contract just to get his salary off the books.
Even before it became clear that Vidal was to leave Camp Nou, Inter boss Conte expressed an interest in signing the Chilean, but despite everyone involved hoping for the same outcome, negotiations have dragged on for far too long.
However, we're finally nearing the end of this saga as Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Vidal is due at Inter on Sunday to complete a deal which will be worth in the region of €1m (£920,000) for Barcelona.
Gianluca Di Marzio adds that Vidal's arrival may be delayed until Monday but the deal is expected to be completed in the coming days, with the 33-year-old penning a two-year contract at San Siro.
Conte was the man who brought Vidal to Juventus in 2011, and the pair enjoyed three successful seasons together in Turin before the boss left to take charge of the Italian national team in 2014.
They have remained close ever since, with Conte famously admitting (via ESPN): "Arturo is a fantastic player. I have a great respect for Arturo, and we spent many years in Juventus together. If we go to war, I'd always want him with me."
Vidal was keen to join up with Conte after losing his place at Barcelona. Koeman is preparing to rip up Barça's midfield, having already sold Ivan Rakitić and pushed Riqui Puig and Carles Aleñá towards the exit door, with Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum understood to be his preferred target.
Philippe Coutinho has also been touted as a potential solution to Koeman's problems in midfield, while there have also been unconvincing links to Napoli's Fabián Ruiz and Atalanta's Marten de Roon.