‘I didn’t smile’ – Vitor Roque opens up on ‘difficult’ Barcelona spell after Real Betis move | OneFootball

Real Betis loanee Vitor Roque has aimed a sly dig at his parent club, Barcelona, claiming he is happy at the Stadio Benito Villamarin Stadium and wants to continue plying his trade with Los Verdiblancos.

After tearing up the Brazilian top flight, Roque earned a reputation as one of the best talents in South America, with European clubs lining up to snap him up.

Following a long-drawn-out transfer saga, Barca finally won the race for his signature, forking out an initial €30 million fixed fee, with a further €31m in performance related add-ons.

The finances involved in closing the deal clearly indicated that all parties had high hopes for the Brazilian striker, but his career hasn’t gone according to plan.

Roque completed his big-money move to Barca in January but only made 16 appearances across all competitions for the Catalan giants, returning two goals.

Over the summer transfer window, reports emerged that Barca were keen to cut their losses and ship him off on a permanent transfer but it never materialised.

Instead, the talented 19-year-old striker joined Betis on a season-long loan. He has now revealed his admiration for the club and expressed a desire to stay beyond his loan contract.

“My family and I went through very difficult times, and now they smile with me,” Roque said (via Fabrizio Romano).

“I didn’t smile for 6 or 7 months. I’m very happy at Betis. I’m smiling again here. I live very well, and I would like to keep on playing here.”

Roque has featured seven times across all competitions for Betis. He opened his goalscoring account in Betis’ 2-0 win over CD Leganes in mid-September.

It remains to be seen how Barca manage the striker’s situation moving forward, but they’re more likely to take a massive hit if they still want to cut him loose next summer.

Roque emerged as a potential target for Manchester United last summer.

Even if they go back in for the Brazilian talent next summer, they’re unlikely to stump up any fee close to Barca’s initial investment in the striker.