Earlier today, Vitor Roque finally arrived in Barcelona from Brazil as he gets set to kickstart his career as a Barça player.
The 18-year-old sensation was signed by the Catalans from Athletico Paranaense in the summer itself in a €30 million deal, excluding add-ons, with the striker signing a long-term contract until 2031.
However, owing to FFP restrictions, Barcelona decided to let Roque continue on loan at Athletico until now, and have now decided to incorporate him into the squad in January.
Everything is set for the teenage wonderkid to start life as a Barça player soon, with the plan being for him to begin training with his new teammates from Friday.
Roque’s new shirt number revealed
Now, Gerard Romero has come forward with an update on the shirt number that Roque will be wearing at Barcelona.
As per the update, the 18-year-old striker will be handed the #19 kit at Barça, which has been left vacant since the departure of Franck Kessie in the summer transfer window.
Before Kessie, the No. 19 was worn by Ferran Torres and Sergio Aguero, while Barcelona legend Lionel Messi also donned the shirt in the early parts of his career at the club.
Patrick Kluivert was also among those to have had the No. 19 kit at Barcelona and now Roque will be carrying forward that legacy from January.
Debut vs Las Palmas?
As of now, the plan is for Roque to begin training with his new Barcelona teammates from December 29, Friday. A day later, he will get a chance to see the fans during an open training session.
The youngster’s official presentation is scheduled for January 3, with his official debut for Barça pencilled in for January 4 against Las Palmas away in the Canary Islands.
