On August 26, at a time when Barça was desperately seeking to obtain salary margin to alleviate the Financial Fair Play and be able to sign, an agreement was announced. It was the loan of Vitor Roque to Real Betis for one season, extendable on an optional basis for a second season. In addition, the Andalusian team obtained an option to buy the majority of the rights of the striker, around 80%, for a figure of around 25 million euros. Executing this option, by decision of the Brazilian, meant rejecting a transfer of 30 million euros from Sporting CP.
The ex-Furaçao arrived at the Seville team very excited. He saw it as the possibility of starting over, after the complicated six months he spent as a culé. Who knows if the desire to succeed dressed in blaugrana is still in his mind. What is certain is that he has affection for his former teammates and the staff, because before the match between the teams that share his contract, with the rest of the players prepared, Roque made sure to give a hug to all the representatives of the Barcelona shield present.
There are no friends on the pitch
At 16:17, two minutes late due to the hugs of the Betis number '8', Muñiz Ruiz signalled the start of the match. Upon hearing the whistle, the centre forward ran out of gestures of appreciation. From the first minute, he looked very focused and intense, with his mission very clear. So, he didn't mind facing the club that he supported as a child and that he owns. He gave it his all on the pitch.
He played a total of 77 minutes, until he was replaced by the man who ruined the night for Flick's pupils: Assane Diao. In the time that the Brazilian was on the pitch, there was a clear improvement compared to his time at Barça. With less pressure, he plays much more confidently. One of the aspects where he looked more confident was with the ball at his feet. He touched the ball 19 times, lost it on 4 occasions and was successful in 80% of the passes he made. Likewise, leaving his soul on the field is something he continues to do through his strong pressing. He won 2 of the 4 duels on the ground and 1 of the 3 in the air, as well as intercepting the ball on 1 occasion.
The last match in which he had a significant number of minutes with FC Barcelona was against Manchester City. He started from the left wing and played 46 minutes. In them, he touched the ball 17 times, losing it on 9 occasions and failing in the 3 passes he made. He failed in the only dribble he made and, of the duels he had, he won 2 of the 8 he played on the ground and 1 of the 2 he competed in the air. The improvement is very noticeable.
On the offensive side, Vitor Roque did not feel comfortable against Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez, which is logical. He only managed to shoot once and did not find the goal defended by Iñaki Peña. However, a gallop of his in which he was one on one with the Blaugrana goalkeeper was stopped by Frenkie de Jong with an illegal charge and a stomp. Thus, the referee indicated a penalty and Lo Celso transformed it into a goal. The Brazilian caused the play for his team's first goal.
Is Vitor Roque ready for Barça?
Real Betis, as previously mentioned, can pay 25 million euros, this season or next, to get 80% of his rights. However, the Verdiblancos decided to sign the young striker on loan due to their financial difficulties. Likewise, the Andalusian team has not made such a strong investment since 2019, when it paid 28 million to Espanyol for Borja Iglesias. However, as he is still owned by FC Barcelona, Deco must be attentive to the player's development.
From the start of the season, until the direct confrontation, Vitor Roque's growth can be seen. Perhaps, with this level of play, he could be the permanent substitute for Robert Lewandowski. However, it does not seem enough to take over the Pole's position. There are still many months of competition left and perhaps the Verdiblancos want to extend the loan of 'Tigrinho', so the evaluation of his fit in the Blaugrana squad is better postponed. In fact, there may not be an analysis if the club with the usufruct decides to sign him.