Vitor Roque: the ace up Barça's sleeve to secure Iñigo Martínez

Vitor Roque is very close to giving a key boost to FC Barcelona's finances ahead of next summer. The negotiations between the Blaugrana and Palmeiras are practically closed, an operation that Iñigo Martínez is also celebrating. Both LaLiga and Real Betis tried to block the sale of the Brazilian player, as well as the renewal of the Basque central defender, but Barça is finally a step away from closing a highly beneficial transfer.

According to 'MARCA', the 'Verdao' will pay 25.5 million euros net plus an additional 5 million in variables for the 20-year-old forward. Furthermore, Barça will retain 20% of any future sale, which means they will recover 100% of the money invested in him in 2023. However, the operation has become complicated due to Betis's insistence on receiving compensation for having to break the loan agreement of the player, who had a contract until the end of the season, with an option for one more year.

The latest information indicates the 'verdiblanco' team's desire to acquire Pau Víctor's services, a forward that Manuel Pellegrini had already eyed in the past winter market. Another option involves the sporting rights of Ez Abde, for whom Barça still retains 50% of a future sale. A financial compensation is also still on the table, as negotiations have not been finalized. In any case, Barça is already calculating the profits that the transfer of 'Tigrinho' will generate.

The transfer of Vitor Roque, key to resolving the 'Iñigo case'

In this sense, the 25 million net that Barça will receive for Vitor Roque will be enough for LaLiga to greenlight the renewal of Iñigo Martínez. The Basque player, just like Robert Lewandowski, had the option to extend his contract for one more year if he played at least 45 minutes in 60% of the official matches of the Blaugrana in the 24/25 season. However, unlike the Pole, the central defender's contract is not fully covered in the culé 'Fair Play'.

According to the league, the Ondarroa player's salary is only covered until the next June 30. Barça also had problems registering him last summer and, in fact, the '5' ruled out activating a release clause included in his contract if his registration was delayed longer than expected. Fortunately, everything was resolved before the first match of the season in Mestalla and, looking ahead to the 25/26 season, Vitor Roque will also lend a hand for the continuity of the 33-year-old defender, who has made a notable leap in quality since Hansi Flick's arrival.