"With a bit of distance, Deco talks about Vitor Roque without trying to rewrite history. "From a quality standpoint, I don't think we made a mistake," Barcelona's sporting director said, pointing out that the club's idea was clear from the start: find a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski before the clock became a problem. The issue wasn't the player's profile so much as a total mismatch in timing, according to Deco."
""He moved to a new country and joined a big club, facing significant pressure, and did not get enough playing time to properly adapt." A loan to Real Betis was meant to change the scenery and steady him. It never really did. Deco acknowledged that the spell "did not go as hoped," and by the time Palmeiras came calling, the club saw a chance to step off the ride without dragging it out."
""We decided that this would be the best solution for everyone," he said, stressing that Barça were able to recover their investment rather than swallow a loss. To put the situation into perspective, he drew a parallel with another Brazilian teenager still finding his feet in Europe. "Look at Endrick: he is also going through challenges. This is normal for young players at a major European club.""
"Back in Brazil and with Palmeiras, the tag of "future star" has been dropped in favor of something more useful: relevance. Look at his cameo against Atlético Mineiro. He was on the pitch for eight minutes before sniffing out an equalizer. It wasn't exactly a masterpiece of a goal, but it flashed that same raw, vertical aggression that originally made Barça pull the trigger on his transfer."
Barcelona targeted a long-term successor for Robert Lewandowski to avoid timing problems. The signing failed to adapt because of a move to a new country, intense pressure, and insufficient playing time. A loan to Real Betis did not provide the recovery or minutes needed. Palmeiras offered an exit that allowed Barcelona to recoup their investment. Comparison with fellow Brazilian teenager Endrick frames these struggles as common for young players in major European clubs. Back at Palmeiras, Vitor Roque has traded the 'future star' label for immediate relevance, showing raw vertical aggression in brief appearances while recovering from nagging injuries.
Read at Barca Blaugranes
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