Barcelona were willing to deal Vitor Roque in the summer, just six months after he arrived, having struggled to make an impact in Catalonia. However he has shown signs of why the Blaugrana forked out €30m for him while on loan at Betis.
While he has just 6 goals and an assist in his 24 appearances this season, Roque has been an important player for Betis, providing plenty of threat.
“Vitor is a young player who is starting his career. He is 19 years old, so we cannot demand from him the experience that a footballer with more games under his belt has,” Manuel Pellegrini told Sport after Betis’ 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano.
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“He spent the 90 minutes running, trying to create opportunities. He caused the penalty, he had a shot across that he couldn’t convert and a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. As he gains calmness, his precision in finishing within the area will also improve. He is a growing player who contributes a lot to us.”
The Catalan daily highlight that Betis have no intention of letting Roque leave any time soon. They are set to extend his loan for a second season, before evaluating their €25m buy option. It had emerged that Palmeiras were interested in a deal for €20m to take him back to Brazil, but that does not look as if it will happen.
It is certainly a good position to be in for Los Verdiblancos. If Roque does show evidence of becoming a top striker, then that buy option will look cheap, and his value will increase beyond that. If not, then they will have had service out of a forward for two years at a relatively affordable cost.