Juventus star Arturo Vidal is one of the 2014 summer transfer window's hottest properties. Admirers for the Chile international are not hard to find - he's been linked with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool over the last twelve months or so.

But in regards to this summer, it's Manchester United who appear to be winning the race for Vidal's signature, with The Metro even claiming this morning that the 27 year-old has taken and passed an unofficial medical for the Red Devils. Other online sources declare the Old Lady have accepted a £47million offer - but that is yet to be confirmed by either Juve or the Premier League side.

At this point however, few would bet against the Chile midfielder turning up at Old Trafford before deadline day.

And with that in mind, being the lovely bunch we are at Football Fancast, we've come up with a list of FIVE things you NEED to know about United's prime transfer target.

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IL GUERRIERO

Arturo Vidal

Due to his aggressive, high-energy style, Arturo Vidal is affectionately referred to by the Italian press as 'Il Guerriero', which translates as 'The Warrior'.

The battle-hardened moniker is more than justified - only two midfielders bettered the Chile international's 4.1 tackles-per-match in Serie A last season, as detailed below:

Vidal tackles

Likewise, Vidal made the most tackles-per-match of any player involved in last year's Champions League tournament:

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These kind of challenges have become the 27 year-old's trademark:

He does have a habit of occasionally overstepping the mark however. Believe it or not, this horror tackle was during an international friendly:

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GOAL MACHINE

Arturo Vidal's attacking qualities are well known - in fact, combined with his rugged tenacity, it's likely the biggest factor in Manchester United's continual pursuit of the Juventus star.

But the degree of his effectiveness in the final third is often understated. Did you know:

That equates to 28 league goals since joining the Old Lady in 2011 - as well as a stunning 18 across all competitions last season, including five goals in just six Champions League outings!

Here's a look at Vidal's best strikes for the Turin outfit last season:

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He also netted five times in eleven appearances during Chile's 2014 World Cup qualification campaign. Prolific.

HAT-TRICK

Arturo Vidal

And a large source of those five Champions League goals was a mesmerizing display against FC Copenhagen last season, where Vidal netted a 60 minute hat-trick.

Here are the highlights from the Chile international's strongest European performance to date:

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And it wasn't just the 27 year-old's ability to convert spot kicks that caught the eye:

Interestingly enough, it was the first hat-trick of Vidal's career - and Juventus' first in the Champions League since Filippo Inzaghi (now AC Milan boss) way back in 2000.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

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It wasn't always start-studded rumours of £47million deals surrounding Arturo Vidal...

The Roja international came from humble beginnings, the second of six sons born into a working class commune on the outskirts of Chilean capital Santiago.

His uncle soon spotted his vast potential, first bringing him to Santiago-based club Melipilla, before he was eventually snapped up by Colo-Colo. Here he is netting for the Chilean outfit:

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Claiming back-to-back Primeira division titles with Colo-Colo in just two seasons at the club, whilst finishing the 2007 South American Youth Championships as the tournament's second-top scorer after netting six times, soon paved the way for a move to Bayer Leverkusen in the following summer.

He was snapped up for $11million by the Bundesliga side -which remains a national transfer record for Chile.

AWARD WINNER

From humble beginnings as a Chile junior international, Arturo Vidal's career has only gone one way.

This is best typified by the sensational number of individual accolades he's claimed since 2010 - the year prior to his €10.5million switch from Bayer Leverkusen to Juventus.

In 2010, he claimed the Chilean Player of the Year award. A summer later, he was included into the Bundesliga Team of the Year, paving the way for his move to Turin.

Then, during his second season with the Old Lady, the 27 year-old picked up the Juventus Player of the Year award, earned a spot in the Serie A Team of the Year and was named Midfielder of the Season by Goal.com.

After his talismanic form last term, Vidal was named in the illustrious ESM Team of the Year:

ESM Team of the Year

And perhaps most tellingly of all, was slapped onto the front cover of the South American edition of FIFA 14, alongside Lionel Messi and Radamel Falcao: