Vidal vows to leave Barcelona if he is not made to 'feel important'

Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal has struggled for starts this season and has now seemingly threatened to quit the LaLiga club in search of more playing time.

Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal

Arturo Vidal has vowed to leave Barcelona next year if he is not made to "feel important" by the La Liga champion.

The Chile international has featured in 13 of Barca's 18 matches this season, though just four of those appearances have been starts.

Vidal arrived at Camp Nou from Bayern Munich in 2018 and has another 18 months to run on his contract, but the 32-year-old will consider an early exit if he is not given more minutes.

"I would like to be here forever, but I have to be objective and live day to day," he told Televisio de Catalunya .

"If in December or at the end of the season I do not feel important here, I will look for a solution and expand my horizons [in order] to be important."

Barcelona is top of La Liga and through to the last 16 of the Champions League with a game to spare, but Vidal acknowledged performances have not been good enough.

"One could say that everything is fine but, clearly, the team, to achieve our goals, to lift the trophy at the end of the season, have to improve a lot," he said.

"We're on time. We have to begin giving the maximum or working much more.

"The Champions League looks pretty tough. There are very strong teams. Liverpool already showed last year that they were physically superior."

Barcelona returns to action on Sunday with a trip to title rival Atletico Madrid.