Arsenal Transfer News: Pros and Cons of Signing Arturo Vidal

Arsenal and Arturo Vidal transfer rumours, after a brief lull, have gone into overdrive again, with Juventus signing Roberto Pereyra on a permanent deal.

Pereyra, if the reports are to be believed, is seen as the heir apparent to Vidal's throne, even if the Argentine has the ability to play in more varied positions than his Chilean teammate.

Vidal, however, has been tipped for a move away from Turin this summer, with Arsenal reportedly his preferred destination.

Some reports, prior to the start of the Copa America, suggested Vidal had already agreed on a move to Arsenal, with Chile international teammate Alexis Sanchez apparently convincing the midfielder to sign for the Premier League side.

Those stories died down as the Copa America took centre-stage, even if they did initially suggest any move would be made, and announced, only after the Continental tournament, which Chile, who entered the semifinals with a 1-0 win over Uruguay, are hosting.

But then, do Arsenal really need Vidal?

Yes, he is a terrific midfielder, who can score goals and get his foot stuck in. He can add a bit of physicality and fighting spirit in the midfield as well, while his technical ability is pretty good.

But then, Vidal is not a defensive screener, like a Francis Coquelin. His first instinct from midfield is always to attack. For Juventus, Vidal was the furthest midfielder, supporting the two strikers Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata. He is at his best, when looking forward, even if he does have the capability of doing the defensive work.

Arsenal have plenty of box-to-box midfielders in the side. Aaron Ramsey is the obvious one, with his ability to pop up with goals at the right time one of his main assets, while he has a really good tackle success rate as well.

With Santi Cazorla showing his mettle in the deep midfield role alongside Coquelin, Ramsey was forced to play on the right in the last few games of the season.

Apart from Cazorla and Ramsey, Arsene Wenger, who is a huge fan of Vidal, also has Jack Wilshere, another box-to-box midfielder, whose primary ability is to attack, find those perfect passes, and, like he showed for England against Slovenia, score a few goals as well.

Vidal will not come cheap. His eventual transfer fee will be in the £20-25 million mark, at the very least – some reports suggest it will be neared £30 million. So, does it make sense to spend a huge chunk of the club's transfer fee on a player that Arsenal really do not need?

It is a question that cannot be really answered, can it? People questioned if Mesut Ozil was truly essential for Arsenal, considering the ridiculous amount of playmakers they already had even before the Germany international signed two summers ago from Real Madrid. And see just how vital Ozil has been for Arsenal of late. Once the German has settled in, and shrugged off the injuries, he has been the focal point of all attacks.

Ozil also lifted the Arsenal squad, much like Alexis Sanchez did last summer. And while Vidal is older than both these players – and probably not as high profile -- the midfielder does have the ability and talent to make a similar impact.

A terrier like Vidal might just be the inspirational kind of player that Arsenal need in midfield – similar to what Patrick Vieira brought to the team, without even remotely comparing the two, of course – to turn them from nearly-theres into title contenders.

One thing is for sure – Arsene will know best, as always.