(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Armstrong Vas | The Peninsula

Doha: Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes insists there has been no contact between the German club and Chelsea over Arturo Vidal ruling out the possibility of the Chilean international been sold during the January transfer period.

The Bavarian midfielder has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as Antonio Conte looks to strengthen his midfield.

But the veteran German coach dismissed suggestions Vidal will leave in January and termed the media reports as ‘pure speculation'.

'There is no contact between Chelsea and Bayern - we will not sell Arturo Vidal or any other player for that matter during the winter break," Heynckes said at a press conference in Doha where the Bundesliga leaders are on a winter training camp.

"It's just speculation. Arturo Vidal is very motivated, he's a top player and we need him at his very best if Bayern is to play well."

English champions Chelsea have already been busy in the January transfer window, snapping up Ross Barkley from Everton for a fee.

It had been claimed Chelsea had offered Vidal a four-year contract worth £13.5m-per-season.

Vidal has just 18 months left on the four-year deal he signed to join the German champions in 2015 and Bayern have been linked with Schalke's Leon Goretzka, who is available on the free transfer in the summer.

Conte worked alongside Vidal at Juventus and is well aware of his quality.

Bayern, who lead the Bundesliga by 11 points from Schalke 04, arrived in World Cup 2022 host Qatar on January 2.

Bayern resume Bundesliga duties on January 12, when they play away to fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

Heynckes, 72, is in his fourth stint at the club after Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and president Uli Hoeness turned to their 2013 treble-winning coach following the dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti in September last year.

Bayern promptly won nine of their ten following matches.

This is the eight year the Bundesliga giants have chosen the state-of-the-art Aspire Academy as a venue for their winter training, which ended yesterday with a match against QNB Stars League side Al Ahli.

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