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Arturo Vidal: Midfielder must ask to join Manchester United, say Juventus

The Chile international has been linked with a £48m switch to Old Trafford

Simon Rice
Tuesday 29 July 2014 15:00 BST
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Arturo Vidal is a target for Manchester United and Liverpool
Arturo Vidal is a target for Manchester United and Liverpool

Arturo Vidal will not be sold to Manchester United - unless he asks to leave, say Juventus.

The Chile international has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford across the summer and the most recent reports suggested Louis van Gaal was preparing a £48m offer for the midfielder and is ready to double the midfielder's wages in a bid to convince him to join.

The player himself has played down speculation, saying "I do not go to Manchester", however speculation refuses to cease.

Juventus have now moved to quell the speculation as well with CEO Giuseppe Marotta telling Sky Italia: "We have clear ideas. We renewed [Vidal's] contract a few months ago just because we knew we could count on an important element.

"We don't want to sell Vidal, there are only rumours because he is a player among the best in the world. We never activated a clause to try to sell him - if he doesn't show an intention to leave, our position won't change."

If Manchester United are to sign Vidal, they must hope talk of a four-year contract that will double his wages to around £6m-a-year will turn his head. Gazzetta Dello Sport reported that the player's agent, Fernando Felicevich, will discuss the interest from United with Juventus this week.

Vidal has been linked with a switch to English football for months, with Liverpool also interested in adding him to their Champions League squad, but United have always appeared to be the most likely destination.

After impressing at this summer's World Cup in Brazil, the Juventus star's stock is climbing an ever steepening gradient and he would compliment a midfield in need of strengthening.

It has emerged that Van Gaal is ready to off-load Marouane Fellaini to Napoli - and could also let a number of other players leave Old Trafford this summer.

Marouane Fellaini could be on his way

United are currently on a pre-season tour of the United States and, after their 7-0 demolition of LA Galaxy, laboured to a 3-2 victory over Roma at the weekend.

"I am pleased that we have won but it was not a good performance," the new manager said at full-time.

He continued: "54,000 people came to watch us but we can perform much better. All my good passers failed today. I think it was because of the height and the air.

"Mata, Herrera and Kagawa - these are the best passers (at the club), and everything went wrong."

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