Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 6y

Bayern Munich's Arturo Vidal eyes new contract; new deal for Sven Ulreich

Arturo Vidal is "not thinking about a move" away from Bayern Munich and could imagine signing a new deal once his contract expires.

Vidal, 30, is under contract at Bayern until 2019, but Leon Goretzka will join from Schalke and the Chile international has been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena.

And although Vidal has strongly been linked with a move to Chelsea, where he could, as things stand, reunite with his former Juventus boss Antonio Conte, the midfielder has now dropped hints he could imagine staying at Bayern for longer than his current deal.

"I don't think about a move. I feel incredibly well here," Vidal told reporters on Saturday. "Sure, I would like to extend here. That's an option. My kids are also very happy here."

Recent performances have led to extensive praise for the midfielder, with Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes earlier this month highlighting Vidal's importance for the club.

"He doesn't need to worry about his place," Heynckes said. "He is a class player who we need in the big games."

Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, meanwhile, committed his future to the Bundesliga leaders on Sunday. The 29-year-old has stood in goal for the majority of the season following an injury to Manuel Neuer and has impressed with his performances.

With his contract due to expire, Ulreich on Sunday signed a new deal, making him a Bayern player until the end of the 2020-21 season.

Having joined Bayern from Stuttgart in 2015, Ulreich featured in only six league games for Bayern going into this season, but Neuer's injury problems opened the door on first-team opportunities for the 29-year-old.

He has played in a total of 26 matches in all competitions this season and, in the league match at Wolfsburg next weekend, could make his 200th Bundesliga appearance.

"The last three years have shown that we can rely on Sven not just as a goalkeeper but also as a person," Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic told the club's website. "This season especially he's played a massive part hunt for the title, as well as our continued progress in the UEFA Champions League and DFB Pokal."

Ulreich's performances for Bayern have also put him in contention to make the squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

"He's on our radar," Germany coach Joachim Low told Sky during Bayern's game against Schalke on Saturday. "He's very good in the one-on-one situations."

Ulreich later played down Low's remarks, saying that "others have played at a high level for much longer."

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