FC Barcelona has managed to register its newest signing with La Liga as confirmed in a social media post by the club on Wednesday night in Spain.
Vitor Roque arrived in Catalonia at the turn of 2024 to complete his $32.8 million (€30 million) signing from Athletico Paranaense.
If the teenager hits a serious of collective and personal targets, the Brazilian outfit is set to receive up to an extra $33.8 million (€31 million) pushing the total well past $60 million.
As is common with Barca’s new signings in recent times, or when existing stars have agreed fresh terms, the club’s economic woes and past issues navigating Financial Fair Play meant that registering problems were also encountered when trying to register Vitor Roque.
In his pre-match press conference earlier on Wednesday afternoon, head coach Xavi Hernandez was asked about the situation and provided an update.
Xavi revealed that there was “one thing missing” from the registration progress but added that he was “counting on” Vitor Roque who would be called up to travel to Las Palmas with his new teammates on Thursday.
This proved true, with the ‘Little Tiger’ first included on a squad list published three hours after.
Then at around 21.15 local time, Barca uploaded a photo of Vitor Roque posing as a tiger with the caption ‘REGISTERED’ in block capitals.
Successfully registering the South American U-17 champion is a huge boost for Xavi, who now has a back-up option for aging striker Robert Lewandowski plus additional options out wide.
“I think Vitor can adapt and play on the wing or as a ‘9’,” Xavi explained at his press conference, though he made a point of stressing that Vitor Roque will not be rushed into things.
“We’ll go little by little, of course,” Xavi vowed. “He’s 18 and we can’t hold him accountable [for everything]. He’s ok. He’s been taken care of and has arrived well. He has professionalism and wants to win. We’ll be cautious.”
Though Vitor Roque will probably start on the bench against Las Palmas and make a late cameo, he could earn increased minutes or even be named in the first XI against Barbastro in the Copa Del Rey on Sunday evening.
