Date fixed for Vitor Roque's arrival at Spanish champions Barcelona

Vitor Roque will be a Barcelona player. He will sign for the next seven seasons (6+1 years), but he will finish the 2023 campaign at Athletico Paranaense. This is how the two clubs have defined the transfer agreement, valued at an initial 30 million euros plus 31 million euros in potential add-ons. Therefore, all parties are working with the scenario that the 18-year-old striker will join Xavi Hernandez's team on the first day of the winter window, in January 2024.

Barcelona, however, have left a door open with 'Furacao'. If they manage to get enough salary margin, 'Tigrinho', as he is known, would bring forward his landing in the Catalan capital to this summer. 

This is a scenario that right now seems distant, because it would depend on making several departures (some of them not even scheduled at the moment) because Barça are operating on the 50% rule (that is, for every 100 million of money saved or raised, only 50 million can be used to sign players) throughout the summer window. 

Barça are confident that, this autumn, LaLiga will end up relaxing the Financial Fair Play rules, which would allow the signing of the Brazilian No.9 in January and the carrying out of another operation to strengthen the first team. 

Therefore, Vitor Roque would be a luxury reinforcement for Xavi Hernandez for the second half of the season, when all the titles are at stake: as he could participate in the Spanish Super Cup quadrangular and in the key knockout rounds of the Copa del Rey, without counting the round of 16 of the Champions League where it is assumed that this time Barça will be there and the longest part of La Liga.

In the hypothetical case that Javier Tebas remains unyielding, does not give in and maintains the same Financial Fair Play regime as at present, Barcelona could be prevented from being able to register new players in January. Tigrinho would still leave Ath. Paranaense in that scenario.

Then, according to SPORT, Barça would look for a loan until June 30 at a club in LaLiga or European football, so that he could acclimatise himself with a view to his arrival in the summer of 2024.

Everything indicates that Vitor Roque will continue to wear the '9' of Ath. Paranaense until Sunday, December 3, when the 38th round of the Brasileirao ends and the curtain comes down on the Brazilian season.  

The 'Furacao' are still alive on three fronts: they are still fighting for a Libertadores place in the league; they will face Bolívar in the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores; and, next Wednesday at home, they have to come back from a goal down to beat Flamengo in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals after losing 2-1 at the Maracaná. 

So far, since January, between the commitments of the South American U-20, his debut with Brazil and the different matches with his team, he has already accumulated 39 games in which he has scored 26 goals and provided six assists. 

Coinciding with the final phase of his transfer to Barça, 'Tigrinho' has shown his full potential. In the last six games, he has accumulated six goals and two assists. He is in spectacular form.