Barcelona starlet Vitor Roque arrived in December for a fee of €30m plus €31m in variables, carrying plenty of expectation. Some backed Roque to displace Robert Lewandowski from the side, but it has been a slower start to life in Spain.
Roque, 18, is reportedly struggling to adapt to life in Spain, say Bar Canaletes. A number of factors are having an influence, including the fact that his injury in September meant he did not arrive at 100%. In addition, he is struggling to adapt socially to the group, has been moving between hotels with his family so far, the climate is different, the media pressure is weighing on him, and on the pitch, is yet to settle too.
As noted, it is perfectly normal for an 18-year-old changing continents to have teething problems with his new life. After just a month in Barcelona, few people will be entirely settled. The flipside is that if Roque, who missed clear chances against Las Palmas and Barbastro, continues to appear without scoring, then the pressure on him will only grow, and could threaten to derail his adaptation.