Palmeiras have finally completed the signing of Barcelona striker Vitor Roque for an initial €25 million ($26m) after FIFA gave the green light for the transfer to take place.
The deal looked off earlier this week due to Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) regulations which prevented Roque from returning to Barça, a requisite for him then being transferred on, from his loan at Real Betis.
However, world football’s governing body FIFA ruled the signing could proceed and it has been finalised ahead of the transfer window closing in Brazil on Friday.
Barça could also pocket an additional €5m in add-ons as part of the deal which sees Roque return to Brazil just over a year after leaving for Europe. They will also be due 20% of any future transfer.
Meanwhile, in exchange for agreeing to end Roque’s loan early, Betis have received an additional 30% of winger Abde Ezzalzouli‘s economic rights.
Abde joined Betis from Barça for an initial €7.5m in 2023, with the Catalan side maintaining 50% of any future transfer. That percentage has now been cut to 20%.
Roque, who celebrated turning 20 on Friday, only joined Barça last January in a deal worth an initial €30m from Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense.
He made 16 appearances for the club last season, scoring twice, before moving to Betis on a season-long loan last August. During his time in Seville, he scored seven times in 33 games.
Palmeiras had pledged to sign Roque in the summer if a deal could not be completed this month, but always preferred to bring him in now to give him time to settle ahead of the Club World Cup, which starts in June.
The Brazilian side are in Group A with Al Ahly, Inter Miami and Porto, with the chance to play in the competition a big lure for Roque.a
