Yesterday was a special day for FC Barcelona as Vitor Roque has finally arrived at the club that completed his signing in the last summer transfer window. The Brazilian landed in Barcelona yesterday and will start training under Xavi in the coming few days.
Although he is yet to turn nineteen years of age, expectations from the youngster are already very high. His performances for Athletico Paranaense in Brazil showed just how good he can be on the pitch.
However, Barcelona and Athletico Paranaense are beyond any meaningful comparison, and Roque will have to make a great adjustment to ensure he lives up to the expectations at Barcelona.
To continue on the hot form that he showed in Brazil would definitely be asking for too much, and according to Diario AS, the club itself is not expecting Roque to be an immediate impact signing.
The Spanish publication claims that signing Roque in the summer was more of a preventive action, aimed mainly at keeping other clubs from getting their hands on him.
However, the Catalans also believe that Roque can still help them from the very beginning to some extent, particularly in improving the team’s effectiveness in front of goal.
Roque’s highly efficient stats in front of goal were one of the most impressive aspects for Barcelona as they scouted the player, and Xavi and Deco were also impressed by his offensive positioning.
Another attribute that Barcelona were impressed with was Roque’s decision-making, as the Brazilian has clearly shown his ability to make the right decision in high-pressure moments.
It now remains to be seen what role Xavi will have in store for Roque in Barcelona. The club does not want Lewandowski’s status in the team to be endangered and wants a sweet transition from the experienced Pole to the Brazilian prodigy.
However, Xavi was clear in one of his recent press conferences that no player will have a special status in the team, and everyone will earn his place on merit. This can provide an opportunity for Roque to get a place in the starting eleven right at the beginning of his Barcelona career.