La Liga giants Barcelona have rejected a €20 million offer from Lazio for 50% of the transfer rights to their young forward Vitor Roque, Soccernet.football reports.
The Catalan club is actively looking to transfer Roque, but negotiations with the Serie A side have hit a snag.
Lazio’s proposal to pay €20 million upfront and the remaining 50% upon a future sale has been deemed insufficient by Barcelona. The Spanish giants value the complete transfer of Roque at €40 million.
According to a report from SPORT, the talks between Roque’s representatives and Lazio are now in jeopardy. Barcelona turned down the Italian club’s offer as they are holding out for a more lucrative deal in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are exploring other options. One potential suitor is Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, which is willing to meet the €40 million asking price and offer additional bonuses. Despite the attractive financial terms, Roque and his representatives are hesitant to make the move to Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona are keen to push for a deal with Al Hilal once Roque returns from the team’s tour of the United States. Completing this transfer would greatly benefit Barcelona’s finances, allowing them to recover their investment and potentially make a profit on a player not in the plans of coach Hansi Flick.
Roque has expressed a preference to stay in Europe, making Lazio’s offer more appealing to him. However, Barcelona are focused on securing a permanent sale rather than entertaining loan offers. Clubs such as FC Porto and Real Betis have shown interest in taking Roque on loan with an optional buy clause, but Barcelona are not keen on this arrangement.
In the meantime, the club remains optimistic about finding a suitable resolution for Roque’s future, balancing both the player’s preferences and the club’s financial needs.