Decision made – Hansi Flick will retain Barcelona forward not favoured by Xavi

According to a report from SPORT, Hansi Flick has given the go-ahead to keep Vitor Roque at the club. 

The outlet adds that Flick has been given the responsibility to make the most out of this young talent, who Barcelona signed in January. 

As a result, the club is hopeful that Roque will benefit from working closely with seasoned striker Robert Lewandowski, eventually becoming an important part of the first team.

It is to be noted that when Xavi decided to continue as manager before being sacked, he quickly expressed his wish for Roque to be sent away on loan to improve his skills. 

This idea did not sit well with Roque’s agents and faced with the possibility of Roque leaving, the agents preferred a transfer instead of a loan. They believed that a loan could potentially lower Roque’s market value, which they saw as too risky.

The management always wanted him to stay

During this time, Barcelona’s sports management did not reveal their plans for Roque. This uncertainty left everyone guessing about the club’s true intentions as his signing was a result of the efforts of the scouting department and was finalized with Deco’s approval. 

Vitor Roque will continue at Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Because of this, it remained unclear whether the club would have supported Xavi’s idea or insisted on keeping Roque.

Meanwhile, Flick understands that Barcelona will face financial challenges and the quality and number of new players they can bring in will depend heavily on how successful they are in selling current players.

Hence, Flick is focused on what he can control. He knows his job is to maximize the potential of the current squad and he shares the view of the sports committee that there is significant room for improvement within the existing team.

Difficulties with FFP

As for Roque, he is eager to start the pre-season with enthusiasm and determination. As the latest addition to the squad, he is under a lot of media scrutiny. 

Even if everyone agrees that Roque should stay, his future depends on Financial Fair Play regulations. 

In January, Roque was registered thanks to an exception in the rules, which allowed him to replace Gavi, who was out with a long-term injury. This exception is no longer applicable.

Therefore, Barcelona have a big task ahead regarding Roque. They need to find the necessary salary space to register him.