Barcelona sporting director Deco provided fresh details this week on the amount the club ultimately paid for Brazilian talent Vitor Roque. Roque initially joined Barcelona in January, transferring from Athletico Paranaense in Brazil. Hailed as one of South America’s brightest prospects, his arrival in La Liga was met with high hopes for his impact.
However, Roque’s tenure at Barcelona has not gone as planned. Despite his potential, the forward struggled to secure regular playing time under former manager Xavi, and his fortunes did not improve under Xavi’s successor, Hansi Flick. As a result, the club opted to loan him to Real Betis for more consistent minutes on the field.
Deco details reduced transfer fee
In a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Deco clarified that Barcelona’s financial commitment to Roque remained lower than initially expected. The original terms included performance-based clauses, with the potential for the overall transfer cost to increase based on Roque’s achievements at the club.
Deco disclosed that, to date, Barcelona has only paid €30 million for Roque, rather than the potential €60 million. The variables included in the agreement have not been triggered, as Roque has yet to win titles with the team or meet the required percentage of games played. Therefore, Barcelona’s total expenditure on the young forward has been limited to the base fee.
Roque’s future with Barcelona
The 19-year-old forward now faces a challenging road ahead to prove his worth and potentially return to the Barcelona fold. While his initial chapter at the Catalan club may not have met expectations, his loan spell with Real Betis presents an opportunity to gain experience and make a case for more meaningful involvement at his parent club in the future.
