Arturo Vidal’s contract situation is one of the biggest issues facing Colo Colo in the coming weeks, and former striker Esteban Paredes has openly expressed pessimism about whether the club will keep the midfielder. Both Vidal and sporting director Aníbal Mosa have hinted in recent statements that his continuity for 2027 is far from certain.
Paredes criticises the club’s handling
The uncertainty has worried Colo Colo supporters and club figures alike, and Paredes was among those who questioned how the Chilean club has managed the process. Speaking on the programme Tipster, he responded to Mosa’s comment that Vidal is a huge emblem of the club but does not play alone. Paredes disagreed with the idea that all players should be treated the same, arguing that Vidal is a member of the squad like any other but deserves special consideration.
The former forward said he believed it was disrespectful that a player of Vidal’s stature had to wait until the last moment to renew. He had made the same point earlier, and he insisted that it did not sit right with him.
A pessimistic outlook
Looking at the matter from a footballing perspective, Paredes said Colo Colo should protect Vidal and offer him another year of contract, or possibly two. He acknowledged that he did not know what the player himself would demand, but he stated plainly that he feared the club would lose him. He also suggested that Vidal’s outspoken public statements could make a renewal less likely, while praising the midfielder for always speaking his mind.
Mosa tries to calm the waters
On Wednesday, Mosa sounded more cautious and appeared to lower the temperature. He said Vidal would be the first player the club sits down with, adding that he has a good relationship with the midfielder and that the two had recently talked at a party. He rejected claims of a rift between them.
Mosa also reminded supporters that he had been among the strongest advocates of keeping Vidal in 2024, when he was the one who renewed his contract. While he said he holds the player in the highest regard, he stressed that he must also take an institutional view. The coach will be consulted first, he said, and only after that will the club meet with Vidal.
Source: www.latercera.com
