After arriving at FC Barcelona with much fanfare and a lot of expectations, 19-year-old Brazilian forward Vitor Roque was unable to stay at the Catalan club for an extended period.
He left the Catalan last summer to play with Real Betis on loan. After a promising start with the Verdiblancos, the South American starlet has slowed down in the last few days.
He has not scored any goals for Manuel Pellegrini’s team since scoring in the match against Leganes, and his form is starting to become a point of worry for the Blaugranes.
As SPORT has noted, his recent poor form can result in him being benched for the upcoming derby between Real Betis and Sevilla, which would be quite a hard blow for the young striker.
Roque had decided to join Real Betis despite having several other offers on the table as Manuel Pellegrini’s side had offered him an important role in the squad.
The Brazilian even started getting chances at the start of his loan stint, but for the upcoming derby, Bakambu can take his place in the starting eleven.
Meanwhile, the Catalans understand that Roque would need significant minutes on the pitch to get back into rhythm and acclimatize to Spanish football. Thus, his situation at Betis is a worrisome subject for them, especially as his irrelevance at Betis can also hurt their economic interests.
Barcelona had sent Roque on loan at Betis so he could recover his form, which would also allow him to recover his value. But if he is unable to perform at the Seville club as well, this loan will be seen as a failure, and his value will deteriorate even further.
For now, the two clubs are in regular contact to ensure the Brazilian keeps playing at the highest level. But if Real Betis stop trusting him, FC Barcelona can lose a significant amount of the sum that they invested in the Brazilian gem last year.