The agent of Barcelona forward Vitor Roque has suggested his client will seek a permanent move if he fails to secure regular playing time.
The Catalan giants paid around €30m (£26m) to recruit Roque from Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense in the January transfer window.
After failing to score in his first three La Liga fixtures, Roque got up and running with a goal in January’s 1-0 win over Osasuna, before he found the net in the next game against Alaves, where he was also dismissed following two bookable offences.
Since serving a one-match suspension, the 19-year-old has had to settle for just six appearances in 14 competitive matches.
The 19-year-old has also been an unused substitute for each of Barcelona’s last four games, with his most recent outing coming in last month’s 1-0 win against Cadiz.
Roque’s agent criticises Barcelona
With Roque struggling to obtain regular game time, the player’s agent, Andre Cury, has now hit out at Barcelona for their treatment of the teenager.
Cury told RAC1: “Everyone thinks that Vitor Roque has to have more minutes and no one understands why the coach doesn’t give them to him
“Xavi has never spoken to the player. I do not understand this situation and I think it is not good for either party. I have told the boy that what he has to do is work even harder and wait for the opportunity.
“In Barcelona there is a lot of press that talks nonsense, gives bad figures and says things that are not true. All this does not help.
Look what has happened with Vinicius at Real Madrid. It has taken two seasons and a half to play and he’s there. Here in Barcelona, in two months a mess is already created and people want to kill instead of help.
“The boy has a contract with Barca. If we chose Barca, because we had other options to pay double, it is because we wanted to play for Barca.
“We are going to show and I am certain that Vitor is going to be a great player, but if Barca won’t let him… The club, the coach or I don’t know what’s happening internally, we’ll have to look for another way.
Roque could seek permanent move
Xavi recently revealed that discussions will take place at the end of the season to decide Roque’s future amid speculation he could be allowed to leave on loan.
However, the striker’s agent says his client will seek a permanent transfer if the Brazilian does leave the club at the end of the season.
“If the club does not give space to Vitor, unfortunately, we will have to talk to the club to find a solution,” Cury added.
“A loan for a young boy ends up harming him because he goes to another club that does not own him and has no interest in taking care of him. This is very dangerous for the boy’s career. The best thing is to stay at Barca, but if he can’t stay we will work to get him to leave permanently.”
With uncertainty surrounding his future, Roque will hope to play a role in Barcelona’s final four games against Real Sociedad, Almeria, Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla.
