It has been two years since Brazilian forward Vitor Roque arrived at Barcelona in December 2023, after his joining was brought forward due to Gavi's injury and available salary cap space. According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport," the deal, which was then considered an investment for the future, came at an inopportune time and under unfavorable circumstances.

Barcelona had agreed with Atlético Paranaense on a fixed fee of 30 million euros, plus variables that could raise the total to 61 million, but these were not activated. The club saw Roque as a future striker prospect to succeed Robert Lewandowski and to accelerate his adaptation, rather than waiting until the summer of 2024, according to the same source.

However, the player joined a team suffering from technical and structural instability during the final season under Xavi Hernandez, amid tension in the locker room and poor results. In this context, Roque did not get enough opportunities, participating in only 16 official matches, scoring two goals without establishing himself.

In the 2024/2025 season, with Hans Flick taking over as head coach, Barcelona decided to loan him to Real Betis to reduce the wage bill and give him playing time. He played 33 matches there and scored 7 goals, but without the expected progress, which prompted the club to move towards a permanent transfer, given the financial fair play requirements and Ferran Torres's impressive performance, according to the Spanish newspaper "Sport."

The final departure took place in February 2025 with his transfer to Palmeiras for a fixed fee of 22.5 million euros, plus variables of up to 5 million. Barcelona also retained 20% of any future sale. The deal also included the club waiving part of its rights to end Roque's loan from Betis. Despite his current success in Brazil, his case at Barcelona remains an example of a transfer that failed due to timing and circumstances.