Chilean midfielder, Arturo Vidal, is set to play for Barcelona after failing to gain a Champions League title with former teams Juventus and Bayern Munich. After struggling with a former knee injury, the 31-year-old is reportedly back in good condition and already training in Barcelona after moving to the city over the weekend.
It is believed he will debut for the team in next Wednesday’s game against Argentina’s famed Boca Juniors.
Born in the Chilean capital, Vidal’s footballing career began back when he joined Chilean football club Colo-Colo in 2006 where originally a substitute he quickly became a prominent member of the team as well as gaining the attention of international football scouts. The young Chilean quickly moved to play for German team Bayer Leverkusen before joining Juventus with a five-year contract. In 2015 he went to Bayern Munich and has played for the term up until he suffered his knee injury in April of this year.
Alongside a plethora of international teams, Vidal has also been a prominent member of Chile’s national team and contributed to the country’s Copa America win in 2015 and 2016 as well as the Confederations Cup in Russia.
The move has been welcomed by Vidal, who has reportedly already chosen the shirt number 22 and comes amidst frustrations from the player at not winning the Champions League with former clubs. The player has reportedly voiced his concerns on social media and blamed Bayern’s losses to Madrid in 2017 and 2018 on bad refereeing.
“I don’t know if I have unfinished business with Madrid, but I do with the Champions League, which is my goal,” Vidal was quoted as saying on Monday in a statement.
According to Infobae, the player’s signing to the club has however raised some concerns and has added to issues the Barcelona club must address before the Spanish league starts later this month, of which Barcelona are current champions. According to the report the club now has six international players from Brazil, Chile and Colombia, however, only three can be registered to participate in the Spanish competitions. The club is reportedly working to amend the issue, firstly by securing a Portuguese citizenship for Brazilian transferee Philippe Coutinho, which will place him in a different category because it is in the European Union.
It remains to be seen whether Barcelona will take the Champions League cup, which is currently held by Real Madrid after winning last year. It is expected that he will also play against his former teams within the tournament.
