Ancelotti refutes reports of Vidal leaving Bayern Munich
Carlo Ancelotti is adamant Arturo Vidal won't be plying his trade elsewhere next season.
Bayern Munich's midfield enforcer has been linked with a move to Thursday's opponent in Singapore, Inter Milan, and odds were slashed on him joining Manchester United earlier in July.
But as far as Ancelotti's concerned, Vidal will continue to patrol the middle of the park for the Bavarian outfit in the 2017-18 campaign.
"Anyone who thinks Vidal is leaving is wrong. He is not moving," Ancelotti fumed during Wednesday, according to John O'Brien from Reuters.
Renato Sanches, seemingly the heir to 30-year-old Vidal's breathless work in the midfield, has also been linked with a departure from the Allianz Arena following a difficult debut season in Germany. The €35-million teenager was subject of reported interest from Manchester United before he left Benfica for Bayern Munich last summer, but spoke up a transfer to AC Milan on Tuesday.
"Personally I'm not happy with my first year here because I'm young and I would like to be playing more, so I would be glad to go to a club who can give me the possibility to play," Sanches told Bild's Tobias Altschaffl, with translation from Ben Gladwell of ESPN FC.
"Milan is an interesting option and if the opportunity were to arise, I would like it. I think that I would have more chance of playing in Milan than in Munich."
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Sanches' switch to Italy may still happen, but Ancelotti is keen on surveying the 19-year-old during the pre-season programme before making a decision on his future.
"Renato is with us all the way through pre-season and then we will make a decision," Ancelotti said. "He played well against Chelsea (on Tuesday) and I hope he can continue to improve."
Bayern, meanwhile, is only going to delve into the transfer market again if a cost-effective purchase becomes available. Club president Uli Hoeness has already said he doesn't want to "join in such madness" as being seen across Europe in this summer's transfer window, and Ancelotti is content with what he has at his disposal.
"I am happy with the squad and satisfied with the players we have. We can have a fantastic season," Ancelotti added.
Despite the retirements of Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso, and the aging legs of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Bayern hasn't been as busy this summer as some anticipated. Corentin Tolisso joined for a potential €47.5 million in June, and introduced himself to fellow newcomers Niklas Sule and James Rodriguez, the latter of whom is on loan from Real Madrid, during the pre-season work-outs.