Barcelona striker Vitor Roque has rejected a contract offer from Al Hilal as he vows to continue fighting for his future at Camp Nou, a report has revealed.
The 19-year-old was signed last summer in a deal worth €61m – an initial €30m and a further €31m in add-ons – but found minutes hard to come by under former boss Xavi. Roque’s first six months at Barcelona yielded just 353 minutes across 16 appearances, prompting a furious statement from the striker’s agent.
Roque’s representative insisted they will push for a permanent exit this summer if he is not handed a more prominent role in the squad, and an opportunity to follow through on that threat arrived in the form of an offer from Saudi Pro League moneybags Al Hilal – the home of Neymar, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves among others.
However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Roque has turned down the proposal after Al Hilal reached out to Barcelona to try get a deal over the line.
SPORT state that Barca demanded a fee of €40m to part ways with Roque and Al Hilal were prepared to make a significant investment in the teenager, only to see their contract offer turned down.
Al Hilal are on the hunt for a young striker to bolster their forward line and have launched an enquiry for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, who is a major target for West Ham United and is also on the radar of Chelsea.
Roque is believed to be determined to stay and fight for his future at Barcelona and is currently focused on convincing new manager Hansi Flick of his worth to the team.
However, his future at the club is still unclear as Barca officials target reinforcements in attack. RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo remains a target but Athletic Club’s Nico Williams is reported to have rejected the chance to leave his current club.
Lazio and Porto are both named as potential suitors for Roque if he accepts a loan move away from Barca, although his agent has previously insisted any temporary offers will be swiftly knocked back this summer.
Barcelona, for their part, would be open to a loan exit as they seek to reduce their salary, potentially giving them wiggle room to make further signings of their own.
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