The former Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder has praised the Chile star’s character as he prepares to join the Bavarians from Juventus
Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus feels Arturo Vidal shares the same strength of personality as Oliver Kahn and Stefan Effenberg and believes he would be a fine replacement for Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Vidal is set to join Bayern from Juventus in a €40 million deal as the club move swiftly to replace Schweinsteiger following his transfer to Manchester United.
The Chile star has blossomed into one of the best midfielders in the world since joining Juve from Bayer Leverkusen and Matthaus is a fan of his combative style.
“He would be a great addition for Bayern because he is the perfect example of a player who moves between defence and attack. Bayern do not have a player like that yet,” he told La Tercera.
“Vidal would be a great signing. If he arrives at Bayern, that would ease some of the pain from Schweinsteiger’s departure.
“His character is very similar to that of Kahn and Effenberg. He’s one of the best midfielders in the world and is a player with many qualities.
“He’s great in recovering the ball and in the transition from defence to attack. He’s also an aggressive leader.”
Another Bayern and Germany icon, Sepp Maier, also offered a glowing endorsement of Vidal and believes he is a perfect fit for Pep Guardiola’s style of football.
“Vidal fits well in the Guardiola system. His way of playing football is very similar to Schweinsteiger. I hope he fills the space that Bastian has left.
“From a sporting point of view Vidal can replace him, but it’s very difficult to replace a person who has spent 17 years at the club.”