Inter coach Antonio Conte convinced president Steven Zhang of the importance of signing Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal, according to a report from today’s paper edition of the Milano based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
The report details how the 50-year-old Italian coach managed to convince the Chinese businessman to deviate from his initial plans of making smart investments for the future in order to strengthen the squad immediately in January and continue the fight against Juventus for the league title.
Despite the recent disappointing investment in Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan, the report continues, Zhang is prepared to invest around €40 million in total for Vidal purely because of Conte’s work in convincing him that the player will help guide the Nerazzurri to victory. The Vidal deal represents a slight departure from the transfer strategy, as the player will not be able to be resold in the future and will cost the Milanese club a hefty amount.