Barcelona’s Vitor Roque has opened up on a difficult start to life in Catalonia but has backed himself to recapture his goalscoring form.
The teenage prodigy was widely regarded as one of the best young talents in South America during his days at Athletico Paranaense, sparking interest from a number of European giants.
Spanish heavyweights Barca and Real Madrid, who have a history of shopping in the Brazilian top flight, along with Paris Saint-Germain, were hot on his heels.
However, the Blaugranas won the race for his signature, forking out an initial €30 million fixed fee, with an additional €31m agreed in variables.
Roque arrived at Spotify Camp Nou with plenty of promise but struggled to make a lasting impression on former Barca manager Xavi Hernandez, who wasted no time shipping him out to Real Betis on loan.
After a period of adaptation at the Andalusian club, the talented 19-year-old has opened up on a torrid start to life at Barca.
“The price that was paid for me created pressure on me,” Roque said (via AS). “It was a very high investment in recent years, and I wasn’t completely ready to help the team the way I wanted.
“I would have liked to have time to get used to the players and the club, but things didn’t go the way I would have liked. And that’s what I’m learning from.”
“I arrived at Barcelona very happy to fulfil a childhood dream, which was always to be there, to live those moments of the UEFA Champions League, to wear that shirt.
“I was very anxious to make things work out. I went through a very difficult time at Barcelona. When you are not happy, and you don’t have confidence, things don’t go well.”
Roque has enjoyed a comparably better start to life at Betis, notching five goals and an assist in 19 games across all competitions.
It is unclear if Barca still view him as Robert Lewandowski’s long-term successor, but it may be too early for them to cut their losses on him.
