5 Things Barcelona Fans Need to Know About Aleix Vidal

When Aleix Vidal signed for Barcelona it was with a view to becoming Dani Alves' replacement given that the Brazilian was expected to leave.

It may well have come as something as a shock to the player that Alves did extend his stay in Catalonia at the 11th hour, and Luis Enrique can be assured of a friendly rivalry for the right wing-back spot in the team next season.

Of course, Vidal is unable to turn out for Barca officially until January 1, 2016 so in the meantime needs to sit back and wait his chance.

Let's take a look at five things about Aleix Vidal that may interest Barca's fanbase...

Journeyman

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Almeria has been one stop of many in Aleix Vidal's professional career.

Born about an hour's drive from Barcelona itself in Valls, Tarragona, Vidal is a Catalan native.

After a season with his hometown club as a youngster, he joined Barca and played in the same under-14 side as Jordi Alba in 2001-2002.

Unable to settle, FC Cambrils and Gimnastic became his next two employers before a two-year spell at Real Madrid.

Five clubs in six seasons spoke of a player that appeared not to be good enough for the rigours of top-level combat. Reus, Espanyol and CF Damm over the next two seasons rounded off a youth career that had already seen Vidal try his luck at eight clubs.

Nothing would change in his senior career to date either, Barca becoming his eighth professional club in seven years.

The B teams of Espanyol, Mallorca and Almeria were all stepping stones along with Greek side Panthrakikos and Pobla Mafumet.

Vidal's big break finally arrived once he had broken into the Almeria first team, where he stayed for three seasons and where his stock rose dramatically.

Unai Emery saw Vidal's potential and quickly set about integrating him into his Sevilla side.

A spectacular season in Andalusia paved the way for the move back to Barcelona and Stuart Goodwin of the Guardian noted Vidal's joy:  “After the birth of my daughter this is the most important day of my life. I’m back at what used to be my home.”

Emery's Vision

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Unai Emery's tactical nous paid immediate dividends for Aleix Vidal.

The UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid is the game in which Vidal made his debut for Sevilla and it would only take him 11 days afterwards to register his first goal, in his opening league game against Valencia.

As with Jordi Alba, Vidal has the skill set to be a winger and both players undertook that role in their youth careers.

However, just as Emery did with Alba whilst at Los Che, he quickly converted Vidal to a marauding wing-back too.

It was a move that paid dividends throughout the campaign.

Five goals including two in the Europa League semi-final against Fiorentina, plus nine assists, per WhoScored.com, was an excellent return from right-back berth.

The New Dani Alves?

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Vidal has much the same skill set as Dani Alves.

So, despite the fact the Dani Alves has signed a new deal, can Vidal become "the new Alves" for want of a better term?

He certainly has a similar skill set to his contemporary, and his engine will keep him running from first minute to last, so obvious similarities can be found there too.

Nine assists, 10 yellow cards compare to compare to Alves' 10 assists and 13 yellow cards per WhoScored. Both evidently enjoy the heat of battle and play with their heart on their sleeve.

Where Vidal excels is in his goalscoring abilities.

Six for Sevilla has every likelihood of being surpassed in a team as free-flowing as Barcelona and given that Alves didn't manage any during 2014/15, there's a cogent argument that, in time, Vidal will prove to be an upgrade on the Brazilian.

What Role Will He Play Come January?

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Luis Enrique has a few options in terms of where best to place Vidal.

Unfortunately for Vidal, he has to spend the best part of six months, including pre-season, on the sidelines.

He needs to find the motivation to keep training at the highest levels so that he is ready to make his debut as soon as practicable after the lifting of the FIFA ban on January 1, 2016.

By then, Luis Enrique could have a fully settled side playing well, and not see the need to draft Vidal straight into the fold. Equally, a freshening up of the squad could well be in order.

So where would he fit?

Ahmed Alshuwaib of Grup14 suggests:

"

Aleix is a quick player and he can provide Barcelona a more vertical role than the one Dani Alves has been playing.

Alves was more involved in Barça’s ball circulation and construction phase and this role might be taken by Rakitic. In this scenario, Aleix will be the right back with Rakitic in midfield.

"

The alternative would be for Alves to sit as a right midfielder with Vidal in behind and overlapping as necessary.

Albeit such a scenario is only likely to occur in the event of injuries, suspensions or rotations by the manager.

If Luis Enrique continues to play the opposition over and above the "Barca way" however, then it's highly likely we will see some movement in formations.

In which case Vidal could feature anywhere along the right side should a particular formation suit.

Fit for Purpose

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Fit for purpose

Something that marked Barcelona out in 2014/15 compared to the previous season was the levels of fitness that the whole squad enjoyed right up until the final game of the season.

During Tata Martino's reign, it was noticeable how lethargic Barca had become towards the end of the campaign and a lack of energy underscored many of their performances.

That certainly hasn't been the case under Luis Enrique and Vidal will much enjoy that side of his role.

As fit as they come, he is a tireless worker and indeed, B/R's Tim Collins notes: "In terms of work rate and ferocity as a wide man, he's similar to Alexis Sanchez."