Barcelona do not look as if they will be able to sign Vitor Roque this winter, despite having told the 18-year-old Brazilian that would be the case in recent months.
Last summer their move for Roque, €30 plus €31m in variables, was announced with the transfer date of the summer of 2024, but it was briefed to many that Roque would likely arrive in January. As Barcelona work to be able to sign in January, they are due to give Roque definitive news on the matter next week.
‼️ Explicat al #TuDiràs 🎙️ @EsportsRAC1
📌 El Barça descarta a dia d'avui que VITOR ROQUE pugui arribar al gener
📌 Caldria fer un espai salarial que ara mateix és molt difícil de generar#frac1 pic.twitter.com/eBVm0GiB8y
— Esports RAC1 (@EsportsRAC1) November 9, 2023
RAC1 report that Roque’s arrival has been ruled out as things stand by the club, as they do not have space in their salary limit. Already around €130m over their limit, the margin for operation they have relies on sales and savings and while it is impossible to know how much they currently have, Roque’s arrival would likely necessitate a €10-15m addition.
This will be good news for Xavi, who was more given to the idea of looking for short-term solution for the pivot position, whereas Sporting Director Deco was more keen on bringing Roque’s move forward. Whether that situation changes is another matter, although it does not look like there will be any major exits in January.