Barcelona's Vitor Roque experiment officially comes to an end
When FC Barcelona signed Vitor Roque from Série A’s Athletico Paranaense for €30 million last January, it was considered a statement signing. Could the Brazilian be the Number 9 of the future for the legendary club?
Instead, the move was a disaster, and the 20-year-old has now completed his permanent transfer to Palmeiras. According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal is worth €25.5m plus €5m.
The striker made 16 appearances for the Catalan side, scoring a less than stellar two goals. After securing a loan spell to Real Betis in August, Roque found the back of the net seven times in 33 matches.
Although the transfer is officially settled, the process did contain some bumps on the road. Due to the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s regulations, Roque was initially not allowed to return to Barça. However, after receiving permission from FIFA, the deal was allowed to progress.
Due to Betis needing to cancel Roque’s loan, the Seville club was able to cut down winger Abde Ezzalzouli’s sell-on clause from 50 to 20 percent. The Moroccan international made the move south back in 2023 for €7.5m.
Although the move was a colossal failure on Barça’s end, it was great business for Palmeiras. The São Paulo side, who did not win the league for the first time since 2021, adds a league-proven player as they look to replace teenage starlet Endrick, who made a big move to Real Madrid during the summer 2024 window.
In addition, this move also helps Palmeiras as they aim for success in the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States. They are in Group A with Portuguese side FC Porto, Egyptian club Al Ahly, and hosts Inter Miami.
With this move, Barca has some tough decisions concerning finding their future striker. Robert Lewandowski is 36 years old and is running on his last legs. Does the club look towards their world-renowned La Masia to fix their issue? Or will they once again sign a future star from the transfer market?