Denis Suarez: 'I will fight for Barcelona spot'

Spanish midfielder Denis Suarez has vowed to "fight to the death" in a bid to secure a regular spot at Barcelona next season.

The 23-year-old, who returned to Camp Nou last summer following a spell with Villarreal, only made 12 La Liga starts for Barcelona during the 2016-17 campaign.

Roma have been credited with an interest in the midfielder in recent weeks, but Suarez is confident that he has the credentials to forge a successful career with the Catalan giants.

"I played a lot at the beginning of the season, then after Christmas I was at a good level, scoring and creating goals," Suarez told Marca.

"But then my progression slowed down. I wasn't in the squad as much. There's a lot of really good midfielders at Barca, but you always have to look at the positives.

"I'm at a great club, I've had a year to learn and adapt and now next season I will fight to the death. My target is to be a success at Barca. I'm going to fight to be a regular. A lot of names were mentioned when Luis Enrique said he was going, but the one I liked the most was Ernesto [Valverde]'s.

"I think he's a sensible manager. He's always taken a chance on young players, given opportunities to those who work hard and deserve it, plus he knows Barca and La Liga."

Suarez managed just three goals in 32 appearances for Barcelona during the 2016-17 season.