Barcelona’s Vidal hints at possible Inter switch – ‘I want to feel important and Conte knows he can trust me’
Barcelona’s Vidal hints at possible Inter switch – ‘I want to feel important and Conte knows he can trust me’
The Chilean concedes he “will have to look for something else” if he continues to feel like a spare part at Camp Nou
Arturo Vidal has hinted that he would be interested in a move to Inter in order to link up with Antonio Conte, while admitting that he doesn’t always “feel important” at Barcelona.
Eyebrows were raised when Barca decided to fork out £27 million ($34m) to bring Vidal to Camp Nou from Inter in the summer of 2018.
Vidal has always operated as more of a midfield enforcer and is known more for his tough tackling and leadership skills than his ability in possession.
However, the 33-year-old did fit Barca’s profile in terms of his trophy-winning experience, having picked up four Serie A titles at Juventus before helping Bayern to three Bundesliga crowns.
The Chile international extended his run of successive titles to eight during his first full season at Camp Nou, silencing a few of his doubters in the process, and he has helped Quique Setien’s men rise to the top of La Liga again in 2019-20.
Vidal only has one more year left to run on his current contract though and has been heavily linked with a transfer to Inter when the market reopens this summer.
The veteran midfielder has been in and out of Barca’s starting XI this season, and he says that he may have to reevaluate his career if his situation doesn’t change over the next few weeks.
Vidal told El Periodico ahead of La Liga’s return this weekend: “We have to play for two more months. Here I am happy and I have excellent teammates, but I want to feel important. Otherwise, I will have to look for something else to continue my career.
“I like playing, I don’t say all the games, but the most difficult and important ones to win the titles.”
The Chilean added on Conte’s reported interest in him at Inter: “We have an excellent relationship, he knows that I am a winner and that he can trust me. That’s what I want here.
“In the stadium and on the street people make me feel very loved. They like me to leave my life, although the press always says about Barca DNA.”
Despite the fact his future remains up in the air, Vidal did insist that he remains committed to helping Barca defend their title, with a clash against Mallorca up next on Saturday.
He said: “We are up in the league and what we have ahead is such a defined goal that we don’t have to think about anything else. We must be champions, that is what is really important.”