In a recent report, Sport revealed that Barcelona forward Vitor Roque is keen on joining Lazio this summer. It has been mentioned that the Brazilian striker wants to seal a move to the Italian club after turning down a move to Saudi Arabia from the Catalan club this off-season.
Roque’s Impressive Rise At The Nou Camp
Roque managed to catch the eye at times with his performances for Barca in this calendar year. The 19-year-old scored two goals in 16 appearances for the Catalan giants thus far across all fronts.
The talented teenager saw most of his playing time come off the bench which explains why he averaged 0.9 shots, 0.1 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball in the final third after he made 76.6% of his attempted passes in the Spanish first division (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Catalan club will run out in the summer of 2031. Thus, Barcelona have no immediate need to cash in on him in this transfer window.
Should Barcelona Boss Hansi Flick Sanction Roque’s Exit?
Roque is proficient at creating some space for himself to get some strikes in at goal. He can be a streaky goal-scorer in the final third and can create a few decent chances for others around him on the offensive end of the field. Roque is primarily a centre-forward but can also serve as a wide player on either flank if needed.
The Brazilian whizkid has shown some glimpses of what he can do during his time at Barcelona so far. However, he is still quite raw and would need time to prove his worth in top-flight football.
Still, there is no denying that Roque has the potential to be a world-class player in his position someday. Therefore, Barca boss Hansi Flick should only consider sanctioning his exit if it is on a loan deal.
At 19, Roque is a generational talent and is currently under a long-term contract at the Nou Camp. Thus, Barcelona should not let him go permanently this summer as he could go on to be a success story at the Catalan club in the long run.
