KEY POINTS

  • Barcelona reportedly wants to "kick out" Arturo Vidal
  • Vidal provided a spark during Barca's 4-0 win over Mallorca on Saturday
  • Barcelona plans to execute its "main transfer agenda" after releasing Vidal

Arturo Vidal was an unstoppable force during Barcelona’s dominant return to action against Mallorca on Saturday. His brilliant showing, however, does not seem enough to influence the decision of the Spanish club, which is reportedly determined to move him somewhere else in the upcoming summer transfer window.

According to Nacho Perez of Eldes Marque, the Catalans are not “entirely happy” with the Chilean midfielder and are decided to kick him out for funds as they search for a replacement they deem fit to the squad.

“The Chilean player has earned on his own merits to be one of the most awarded footballers in Europe and has shone in all the teams he has been through. But at FC Barcelona they don't seem entirely happy with him,” Perez wrote.

“They are still looking for accommodation in the transfer market. It is worth that he is no longer a boy and that he does not retain his best qualities. It is worth that he is not the undisputed starter and that money must be taken as soon as possible.”

Vidal opened up the scoring for Barcelona in their first game after a three-month hiatus. With barely a minute into the kickoff, the 33-year-old found the net with a diving header off a nice cross from Jordi Alba to give the Blaugrana an early advantage.

Martin Braithwaite then scored his debut goal for Barca at 37th minute as the team took a commanding 2-0 edge heading to the halftime break.

Alba put the game out of reach by scoring at the 79th minute before Messi provided the finishing touches as he notched his 20th goal in the league this season. The Argentine also added two assists to his name to spearhead a 4-0 drubbing for Barcelona, which stretched the lead at the top of the La Liga standings to five points.

The cohesion displayed by Quique Setien’s crew on the field was off the charts, and Vidal was paramount for the outstanding showcase. With that said, some fans thought that the Chilean footballer being sent away could spell disaster at Camp Nou, even if the club brings in a promising youngster in return.

Arturo Vidal
Arturo Vidal won four Serie A titles with Juventus, but will now be plotting their downfall with Bayern in the Champions League. Getty Images