‘We can’t put too much pressure on him, it’s the same situation as with Lamine,’ declared Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez regarding the arrival of Vitor Roque. There has been plenty of reporting and analysis dedicated to not rushing the 18-year-old Brazilian striker, but with the first-team struggling, and effectiveness in the final third being one of their biggest flaws, putting a leash on that excitement will prove a hard task.
Not least because if Barcelona’s options up front continue to falter, it will be hard to resist playing Roque. Xavi is in need of results and performances urgently, and while he will try to protect Roque, his brief is to win football matches.
Alongside his finishing, his ability to press and attack space has been praised. With Robert Lewandowski seemingly irreplaceable at the top end of the team, some have speculated that Roque could take the place of Joao Felix on the left for added goal threat, being a position he has played before.
Yet Sport have highlighted that of his 12 Brazilian Serie A goals last season, just one of them came with Roque starting out wide. They describe ‘the Tiger’ as a pure number nine, and half of those 12 goals came in the six-yard box.
Roque was on pace to compete for the golden boot in Brazil before an ankle injury laid out him out for two months. He finished last season with 21 goals and 8 assists in 45 appearances last season, which certainly shows he can be effective. Between a front three that is currently underperforming, Xavi has a tough job to manage the egos as much as anything else. Lewandowski is the undisputed star, Raphinha their most expensive signing under him, and Joao Felix the favoured forward of President Joan Laporta. Ferran Torres will be desperate for opportunities to make Spain’s Euros squad, Lamine Yamal is still just 16, and Roque will be adapting to life in Spain, as well as the pressure of playing for Barcelona.