Barcelona still considering Vitor Roque departure despite Xavi Hernandez sacking | OneFootball

Earlier this week, Barcelona announced that Xavi Hernandez would be leaving his position as head coach after Sunday’s trip to Sevilla, their final match of the 2023-24 season. One player that would have been delighted about this is Vitor Roque, whose future in Catalonia looked uncertain with Xavi at the helm.

In the last few weeks, it had been widely reported that Barcelona would look to organise a departure, either temporary or permanent, for Roque during the summer, as he did not feature in Xavi’s plans. However, with the 44-year-old now going, many expect Roque to remain with the first team, under the orders of incoming manager Hansi Flick.

This may not be the case, as Sport have reported that Barcelona are still considering a loan move for Roque. Club bosses do not anticipate the Brazilian teenager having many minutes under Flick next season, so their idea is to organise a temporary exit – but without a buy clause in any loan agreement. However, neither Roque nor his representatives have any interest in a loan, and if he were to leave, they would want it to be permanent.

The final decision on Roque will be made by Flick, who will assess the situation during the summer. It’s likely that the 19-year-old will remain for at least a portion of pre-season, but there’s a solid chance that he doesn’t stay for the start of Barcelona’s 2024-25 campaign.