Barcelona have already agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old Brazilian forward Vitor Roque, but it looks as if fans will have to wait until next season to see him in action.
Earmarked as Barcelona’s number nine for the post-Robert Lewandowski era, Roque will cost the club €30m plus €31m in variables. At the latest, he will arrive in July of 2024, but Barcelona had hoped to accelerate the deal and bring him in this January.
However hopes of doing so have been dealt a potentially fatal blow by La Liga’s latest salary limits. Barcelona’s new figure is €270m, a drop of close to €400m from last season, meaning they will be subject to restrictions. The Blaugrana will only be able to use 50% of the money they save on salaries or earn in transfer fees for the rest of the season, as they are well in excess of their limit.
🚨 Gavi, except for a major surprise, will be registered as a player of the FC Barcelona first team on January 1st, 2024. Until now, he's registered by a judicial resolution. @RamonFuentes7 pic.twitter.com/Gc4mKGvNdP
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 14, 2023
The upshot is that unless Barcelona sell what MD describe as ‘an important player’, then registering Roque looks highly unlikely. The contract he has signed is spread over seven years, meaning it may well only cost them €8.71m plus the cost of his salary, but it would require selling someone for €20m or more in all likelihood.
This could have a major detrimental impact on their season. With Lewandowski now 35, Xavi Hernandez would no doubt rather have a natural alternative to rotate, rest and compete with his star striker, but it appears he will have to use a makeshift solution. In all likelihood, that would be Ferran Torres.
