Brazilian prodigy Vitor Roque landed in Barcelona on Wednesday with a load of expectations on his shoulders as he is going to be the man Blaugrana will look at during ongoing desperate times.
After a wait of several weeks or even months, Barcelona can now welcome one of their eagerly anticipated signings which was much-needed for the Catalan club before the close of 2023.
So far, the updates for the Spanish giants have mostly been on the negative side, particularly concerning Pedri's injury. However, it appears that Barcelona might end 2023 on a high note.
Roque arrived in a Barcelona side that had undergone significant changes since the summer when he was initially signed as a future asset. Back then, there were hopes that the striker could join, undergo an adaptation period to European football, and train under Robert Lewandowski, one of the best strikers of his generation.
However, the current Barcelona he steps into is quite different and somewhat damaged. No longer a happy and united group, the Catalan giants have faced consistent inconsistency this season. The dressing room is reportedly not a cheerful place, and Xavi is displaying a level of anger never seen before.
As Barcelona seek more goals for improved performance in the crucial stages of the season, the expectations on the young Brazilian striker are high. He now has to deal with the pressure to deliver goals, becoming the natural target for this demand. With Lewandowski underperforming, many see Roque as the solution, despite him being just 18 years old.
The plan now is to integrate him into the team as quickly as possible, and there's even a possibility of his debut on January 4th against UD Las Palmas, depending on how smoothly the registration process goes.
Earlier, it was reported that Barca will begin their plans for the next season by offloading two players, Marcos Alonso and Sergi Roberto.
Alonso arrived at Blaugrana in 2022 and has been struggling to get regular playing time as his role has been reduced to a bench player. His constant struggle with injuries and unsatisfactory display on the pitch forced Xavi Hernandez and his staff to refrain from trusting the Spaniard.
On the other hand, Sergi Roberto, a La Masia graduate who has been at the club since 2009, shared a similar fate as Alonso as he, too, has been finding it difficult to gain Xavi’s trust.
