Antonio Conte has contacted Arturo Vidal, according to sources in Chile, with the Chelsea manager also publicly talking up the Bayern Munich midfielder when asked about his former player.
Conte worked with Vidal when the pair were at Juventus and recently spoke to the 30-year-old about moving to Stamford Bridge, outlining a possible contract worth £250,000 per week, according to La Cuarta (h/t Metro ). However, Bayern would expect a fee of £60 million for the Chile international.
Speculation about Vidal reuniting with Conte has intensified after the latter's comments following Chelsea's 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Boxing Day.
Conte said: "I must be honest, it's not right to talk about a player of another team. Especially if you try to link this player with us. Arturo is a fantastic player... I'd always want him with me," per Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard.
Vidal would be a major asset at Chelsea, despite the Blues' numbers in midfield. Conte can call on N'Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas as a central pairing. He also invested heavily in Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater during the summer transfer window.
No member of this quartet boasts Vidal's complete set of skills, though. The South American is a tough tackler and relentless runner who combines technique with a keen eye for goal.
Vidal's versatility means Conte could use him in a holding role, as a box-to-box player or a No. 10 behind the strikers, lending another layer of flexibility to Chelsea's 3-4-3 formation.
Despite his obvious value, Vidal's role at Bayern had been limited somewhat this season, with the former Bayer Leverkusen star making just 11 starts in the Bundesliga. The arrivals of Corentin Tolisso and Sebastian Rudy seemed to have reduced Die Roten's reliance on Vidal.
However, Jupp Heynckes, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti as manager in October, has started Vidal in each of Bayern's last four matches.
Heynckes' faith in Vidal, along with Chelsea's crowded midfield, make this a transfer unlikely to happen anytime soon.
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