Arturo Vidal's future will be decided in January, reveals Ernesto Valverde

Arturo Vidal's future will be decided in January, reveals Ernesto Valverde

no photo

|

Getty

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has revealed that Arturo Vidal remains a squad player and despite the rumours of Vidal’s exit, he is happy to work with him. However, Valverde also said that he is aware of the player’s desire to play regularly and when January arrives, a decision will be made.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has admitted that he is aware about Arturo Vidal’s stance and his desire to play every game but has hinted that he might leave in the January transfer window, as reported by the Mirro. The Chilean has complained about the lack of playing time this season and has warned he might leave the Catalans in search of playing time.

Since then, a number of clubs have been linked to the 32-year-old midfielder with Inter Milan and Manchester United the most interested parties. Reports claim that United have contacted Vidal's agent Fernando Felicevich, with a ÂŁ13 million move touted for the former Juventus midfielder. But despite that, Valverde went on to admit that he's happy with the midfielder and expects him to stay at the club.

“Vidal is our player. We are happy with him. There are so many rumours. We will see tomorrow if he plays or not. And when the January transfer window arrives, we will see what happens. There's a lot of things going on in January but it's true that we have a lot of midfielders. Some have played more than others but all of them are needed,” said the former Athletic Bilbao coach.

The arrival of Frenkie De Jong in the summer has sparked changes in the Nou Camp midfield this season and Vidal is among those struggling for game time. Ivan Rakitic is another player that has not made regular appearances with Valverde preferring De Jong, Busquets and Arthur. Rakitic too has been linked to Inter and the Premier League which means that the upcoming winter transfer window could determine the Croatian’s future as well.

The Spaniard manager also spoke about the ex Sevilla man and insisted that he has emerged from a difficult spell and things have been good for the player as of now. Valverde further added that he has been pleased with the way Rakitic has been training and expects him to seize the moment when it does arrive despite all the speculation about the future.

“He's a reliable player in a lot of ways. In the same way that there have been moments when he has not featured, he has continued training [with the same intensity] to seize his opportunity. He's played at a good level [in the last two games] and we're happy with that. We'll see what happens in the next few games. He has emerged in a difficult period,” said Valverde.

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all