In this summer transfer window, Vitor Roque will be one of the players with a very uncertain future at FC Barcelona. After having arrived at the Catalan club last January, the Blaugrana club is now looking to send him on a loan this summer, so he can get better acclimatized to European football, before trying to make his place at Barcelona.
Several clubs have shown their interest in the young striker this summer. A few days ago, the Brazilian side Corinthians showed interest in signing him, while some Saudi clubs have also made their efforts to sign him.
According to Mundo Deportivo, one of the teams in this latter category is Al-Hilal, who are very interested in acquiring the 19-year-old forward. In fact, Barcelona have also given their go-ahead for this transfer, and Roque will now have to make a decision in this regard.
Al-Hilal already have a former Barcelona player and Roque’s compatriot in their ranks, i.e., Neymar Jr. Thus, he might easily find a friend at the Saudi club who can help him adapt there better. However, the report mentions that Roque prefers to stay in Europe.
While waiting for his future to be sorted out, Roque participated in the first pre-season friendly match for Barcelona against UE Olot. Although he was a starter in this match, he still was unable to play a significant role.
For the immediate future, Roque is expected to go for the pre-season tour of the USA with the rest of Flick’s team. He will again get the opportunities to impress Flick in the friendlies against Manchester City, Real Madrid, and AC Milan, and might impress the new Barcelona coach enough to get a prominent role for the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, it also remains to be seen whether Al-Hilal will make progress with this transfer and put in a firm offer for the striker in the coming days.
