Manchester United Transfer Rumors: Red Devils Pursuing Juventus Midfielder Arturo Vidal Who Says He Is 'Best Midfielder In The World'

Manchester United has turned its preseason goal of winning a second-straight Barclays Premier League title into finishing among the top four in the English League table. Capping off the 2012-2013 campaign with a title-raising celebration in Sir Alex Ferguson's last season as coach, the Red Devils hoped the return of nearly the entire roster coupled with summer additions would help the club achieve another championship. Struggling mightily at times under first-year head coach David Moyes however, United is now seeking outside help during the January transfer window in order to land in the top four due to the fact that the first four finishers in league play qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

David Moyes is mostly interested in upgrading United's midfield presence and while the club has been linked with Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea's Juan Mata -- with Man U execs reportedly tabling an offer for the Blues midfielder -- reports indicate that the club may dip into the Serie A pool in order to land midfield help. According to multiple sources, higher-ups at Old Trafford are interested in bringing in Juventus mid Arturo Vidal, 26-year-old rising star who helped lead Juve to the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 Serie A championships.

Since joining the two-time defending Italian Serie A champs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2011, the Santiago, Chile native has been a strong piece to manager Antonio Conte's club. Appearing in 20 league contests this season, Vidal has registered 10 goals and 5 assists while continuing to establish himself as one of the top two-way players in the game. Recently speaking with reporters about the transfer rumors circulating around himself and Juventus, Vidal -- who has a strong relationship with the club and boss Antonio Conte -- understands that the better you play the more high-profile clubs will come after you. He also stated that he believes he is the top midfielder on the planet because no one holds his skill set.

“Why am I playing so well? Well that's simple,” he said recently when asked by reporters where his recent top-level play started. “Because I am the best in the world. Many try to imitate my style, but I want to say one thing, I'm the best in the world. In my role, no one defends like me or scores as many goals as me. I have won two Italian championships and am under contract until 2017. I want to win the Champions League with Juventus until then. I keep getting linked to other clubs, like Manchester United recently but that's just normal when you put in good performances at a top club.”

Vidal currently earns under five million euros a year and remains locked in contract with Juventus until 2017 but because Manchester United holds the positional need and the funds to make a move for the midfielder, Arturo Vidal could become intrigued with a move due to the fact that his salary would undoubtedly increase.