Barcelona are keeping a close eye on Everton’s apparent interest in Vitor Roque, as they’d benefit greatly from the move.
The Brazilian forward left the Catalan club to join Palmeiras in February 2025, after a disappointing spell in Spain that also saw him spend time on loan at Real Betis.
He’s impressed since, with 29 goals and eight assists in 97 games to date. Most of those came last season, with 2026 proving difficult following an ankle injury earlier in the year.
Either way, his form has reportedly led to interest in Europe once again. Everton are one of the sides who appear to be particularly keen.
Sport Witness have reported on their developing interest over the last few weeks. The first from Brazil insisted that Everton were eyeing a potential move in January. Palmeiras, for their part, were already moving to try and secure a €50m deal minimum.
The player’s agent, Andre Cury, then reportedly confirmed the interest from Everton. He also insisted that other Premier League sides were monitoring Roque’s situation ahead of a possible move.
“There are many European clubs interested in Vitor,” the agent stated, though he did not specify which other teams were involved.
Barcelona watching
Now, Sport report that Barcelona are also keeping a close eye on the situation. They know that the striker is earning attention from Europe. And their ears have pricked up because that would provide a ‘significant financial boost’ for their coffers.
When they transferred the forward to Palmeiras last year, they secured a percentage of any future sale. That’s worth 20% if the transfer fee exceeds €41m.
Consequently, a €50m move to Everton would result in a €10m windfall for Barcelona, adding to the €25.5m they already received last year. The €10m is a substantial sum, say Sport, as it would allow them to further recoup part of the original investment made on the striker.
Director of football Deco is closely monitoring the situation. He is clearly hoping that Everton or others move in January and provide them with a welcome boost in funding.
Will Everton move?
The question is whether Everton do move. They’re the most heavily linked at this moment in time and do need a striker to support Thierno Barry.
But his form this season has led to an interesting conundrum. Do they sign a younger striker like Roque, a more experienced player to challenge him, or an older head as back up?
Then there’s the money question. The Toffees were ready to spend on Folarin Balogun in the summer and that money presumably remains available. But with the Friedkins looking to sell the club, it seems unlikely that a €50m deal would be sanctioned in the January transfer window.
For now, it appears that things are happening behind the scenes. Barcelona are monitoring that as they could be set to benefit.
