Barcelona manager Xavi is reportedly not convinced with youngster Victor Roque. The 19-year-old arrived from Brazilian Serie A side Athletico Paranaense in January in a deal said to be worth €61 million.
Roque has played just 13 times across competitions, starting and scoring twice, with both strikes coming in La Liga in 11 outings. The Blaugrana failed to mount a successful title defence, with Real Madrid sealing a record-extending 36th triumph last weekend.
Despite being contracted with the Camp Nou side till 2031, Roque's immediate fortunes at the club are unlikely to improve anytime soon, with Xavi reversing his earlier decision to leave this summer.
As per The Daily Briefing (via Barca Universal), Xavi is unconvinced with Roque, explaining why the Brazilian is behind Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Marc Guiu in the pecking order.
That has seemingly incensed Roque's agent, Andre Cury, who has lashed out at the Barca manager that if the player's situation doesn't change soon, he would push for a permanent transfer rather than a loan move.
The Blaugrana has urged for calmness as they look to seek a solution by the end of the season. That's amidst the club receiving a whopping 30 offers, including from Manchester United and Chelsea, for Roque (as per AS via Barca Universal).
What's next for Xavi's Barcelona?
Barcelona have had an underwhelming season after a bright start. After losing to Real Madrid in the Supercopa Espana final and bowing out to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, they encountered more setbacks.
Barca's UEFA Champions League hopes ended in the quarterfinals against PSG, squandering a 4-2 aggregate lead to lose 5-4 to the Ligue 1 champions. Last week, a 4-2 loss at Girona coupled with Los Blancos' 3-0 home win over Cadiz ended their hopes of successive La Liga titles.
Set to end with a trophyless season, Barca next take on Real Sociedad at home in La Liga on Monday (May 13). The reverse fixture at Sociedad in November ended in a 1-0 win for Xavi's side, with Ronald Araujo bagging the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.