Chelsea manager Antonio Conte would 'go to war' with Bayern Munich's Arturo Vidal as transfer talk hots up

There have been suggestions Chile and Germany that Conte wants to bring Vidal to Stamford Bridge next year

Antonio Conte has hailed Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal as a player he would like to “go to war” with, but would not be drawn on the possibility of bringing him to Stamford Bridge next summer.

Vidal was a key part of Conte’s Juventus team that won three consecutive Serie A titles before leaving for Bayern in 2015.

There have been suggestions Chile and Germany that Conte wants to bring Vidal to Stamford Bridge next year even though the player will be 31 years old by then, and does not fit the usual profile of a Chelsea transfer target.

Conte could not say much about any potential move for Vidal but did make clear how much he admired the Chilean international.

“I must be honest, it's not right to talk about a player of another team,” he said. “Especially if you try to link this player with us. July is very far.”

But Conte was still full of praise for the dynamic midfielder. “Arturo is a fantastic player,” he said. “I have a great respect for Arturo, and we spent many years in Juventus together. I would always want him to go to war with me.”