The world of football is an economic labyrinth, a fact that Barcelona is all too familiar with. Long gone are the days when only the occurrences on the field mattered, now the externalities of the game itself are crucial to understand. Financial, image-based, social, and cultural issues are now all massive talking points of the sport.
However, Barcelona has managed to be rather blessed in these departments over the years. Many of the game’s greatest players and ‘icons’ have played for Barcelona in the past. Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr, Ronaldinho, and many other superstars have donned the famous Blaugrana colors at some point.
Similarly, every new player that arrives comes with something much more than their abilities with a ball. For Barcelona, their upcoming arrival from Brazil, Vitor Roque, is no exception. Already, at the age of 18, the striker is the second most valuable player in Brazil right now.
According to Mundo Deportivo, however, there is more to Roque than meets the eye. As per a market and economic strategy expert, Armenio Neto, the true potential of Roque’s image and brand is yet to be discovered.
Thus far, the player has had no massive collaborations or brand deals, but with Barcelona, things could change very quickly.
Originally purchased by Athletico Paranaense in 2022 from Cruzeiro, Vitor Roque was the Furacao’s record signing at the time. The value of that transfer can be approximated to around €2.4 million, but it has yielded great results for his current club. This is something Neto himself agrees with:
“Roque’s arrival was great business for Athletico financially and from a sporting perspective. He was bought from Cruzeiro for initially surprising figures, but it progressed to the point of him being transferred (to Barcelona) for very high figures.”
Moreover, Neto, who was also the Marketing Director of Santos between 2010 and 2013, further elaborated upon the future potential of Roque as a brand:
“Neymar has had solid business ventures tied to his image for over a decade, and now we see new names like Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. attracting various brands. I believe we will see the true impact of Roque’s image from now on, playing for Barcelona.”
For Barcelona, the player’s arrival will be a boost both on and off the field. Given their lack of goals and abundance of missed chances, Roque’s arrival could stir things up.
Paying between €30-40 million for him, as well as add-ons that could further increase that final value, Barcelona are aware of the star that the young Brazilian promises to be.
