Vitor Roque has struggled for playing time since joining Barcelona and now, as per Fabrizio Romano, the Catalans will look to send him out on loan next season.
Roque joined Barcelona in January from Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense but so far, he’s played 276 minutes of league football this season. Robert Lewandowski has naturally been the preferred striker for Xavi which is why Vitor Roque has managed only two La Liga starts.
Romano in his ‘Daily Briefing’ has said: “Vitor Roque? Yes, there is tension, but the relationship between his agent and Barcelona is good. A meeting will happen between the player’s agent and Barça. I think Barcelona will insist on a loan.”
Will Vitor Roque be interested in playing in England for one season?
Manchester United, Spurs and Chelsea have all been keeping tabs on the 19-year-old and all of them are willing to sign him up for a short-term loan spell.
However, his agent has made it clear that Vitor Roque does not want a loan move and if he has to leave in the summer then it will be on a permanent transfer.
His agent Andre Cury has said: “We don’t want a loan. If the club decides he can’t stay, he’ll be sold.
“There are many teams interested in Vitor Roque. If the club doesn’t give Vitor space, we’ll have to look at a solution. Either he stays or he leaves in a transfer, not a loan.
“If he goes to another team that doesn’t own him, it’s very dangerous for the boy’s career. The best thing would be to stay at Barca, but if he can’t stay we will work for a transfer.”
Barcelona have paid around €40 million for the youngster so there’s no way they will be ready to ship him out permanently after just six months. Also, his current market value is €40 million and his contract with the club expires in 2031 which is why none of the interested sides will want to pay a premium fee for someone who has played only 13 games in Europe so far.
Barca will probably demand around €90-100 million for his permanent sale and while Spurs, Man United and Chelsea have the resources to pull this off, they would much rather spend that much money on a seasoned pro.
A loan move to one of Chelsea, Spurs or Man United looks the most sensible decision for the youngster because if he is reluctant then he will have to be sat on the bench for most of the 24/25 season. Barcelona are planning to offload Lewandowksi but they are also in talks to bring in someone like a Darwin Nunez or Alexander Isak meaning there’s no way Vitor Roque is going to move up the pecking order.
The youngster was a consistent performer for Athletico PR and he should stop wasting his time on the bench and instead opt to move out on loan.
All three clubs can provide significant game time next season and if he can prove his worth in the English top division then Xavi and co. will have to sit up and take notice.
