Barcelona ready to sell highly-rated star for €30 million - Reports
Barcelona are reportedly ready to sell Vitor Roque just eight months after registering him on their books. He was signed from Athletico-PR in January in a reported €31 million deal (without variables) and penned an unusually long seven-and-a-half-year deal.
However, it seems that Roque, 19, is already considered expendable within the financially troubled club. According to Diario AS (via Barca Universal), the pre-season win against Manchester City (2-2 after full time, 4-1 pens) on July 30 was the final straw for Barca's management.
Starting at left wing, Roque failed to impress in Orlando as he lost the ball and was dribbled past two times each. He didn't register a single shot on target and failed to complete the only dribble he attempted before being hooked at half-time.
Meanwhile, Roque's competitor for the striker spot, Pau Victor, had a superb game. The 22-year-old Spaniard, who was signed permanently from Girona for €2.7 million this summer, scored the opening goal and played a considerable role in the second.
Roque reportedly doesn't fit the profile needed at the club and Barcelona are open to selling him for €30 million, with Lazio in the hunt for his signature. Such an amount would help Barca negate almost the entirety of the transfer fee they agreed to pay for him in January.
It remains to be seen if any club meets this price-tag for the single-cap Brazil international, who already has 16 senior appearances for Barcelona with two goals to his name.
Agent explained how Barcelona are paying Athletico-PR Vitor Roque's fee
Vitor Roque was a highly-rated prospect during his time in Brazil, and for good reason. Before he turned 19, the Brazilian had already scored 34 goals and provided 12 assists in 97 combined senior matches for Cruzeiro and Athletico-PR.
The Blaugrana, whose financial woes are well known at this point, agreed on a deal to sign him last summer itself before he officially arrived at the club in January. Earlier this year, his agent, Andre Cury, explained how the structure of the payment to the Brazilian club would work.
Cury told Diario AS in March (via Football Espana):
"At the moment there’s a queue of clubs that would be willing to sign him for €50m. Barca has only paid €10m so far, it’s a detailed operation. Barca pays €5m every six months until they reach €31m permanently.
"To meet all the variables, Vitor needs to be a starter. If he was a starter at Barca at 20, his valuation would be €200m. Barca will also pay €1m if he wins the Ballon d’Or and €2-3m for being in the three best in the FIFA vote."
It is worth noting that Roque's contract at Barcelona contains a reported €500 million buy-out clause.