Chile forwards Arturo Vidal (left) and Alexis Sanchez stretch during a 2014 training session in Belo Horizonte © AFP / MARTIN BERNETTI
BERLIN, Germany, May 23 – Arturo Vidal has urged Bayern Munich’s bosses to sign his Chile international team-mate Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal after the Gunners missed out on a Champions League place next season.
Sanchez scored 24 league goals for the Gunners in 2016/17, but it was not enough to secure Champions League qualification as Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League.
The Chile hot-shot has a year left on his contract, but has stalled on extension talks and fell offside with Gunners’ boss Wenger in March after storming out of a training session.
Bayern’s defensive midfielder Vidal has urged the club to splash out and lure Sanchez, who is reportedly worth around 65 million euros ($72.9m, £56.2m), to the Bavarian giants, who booked their Champions League berth as German league winners.
“I’d find it awesome if he comes, he would fit in well here,” Vidal told German daily Bild.
“If he wants to measure himself with the best, then he has to come here where the best play,” added the self-confident Vidal.
He said Bayern’s senior figures have already asked him about Sanchez.
“When they asked me about him, of course I said that he is a player who has to come here,” added Vidal.
“He has a year left on his contract and everyone wants to have him, because it’s easier to pay the money now than if he had three years still (on his contract).”
On Saturday, club president Uli Hoeness said Bayern are looking to sign a ‘big name’ before next season after Carlo Ancelotti’s team lifted the Bundesliga title for a fifth straight season.
Bayern are reportedly already in talks with both Manchester United-target Antoine Griezmann, who is currently at Atletico Madrid, and Sanchez.
Sanchez and Vidal will team up for Chile at next month’s Confederations Cup, where they face world champions Germany, plus Australia and Cameroon in Group B.
