When will Vitor Roque join up with Barcelona? Xavi provides training update on €35m Brazilian forward

The Catalan club confirmed the signing of the player in January 2023 and is all set to welcome him before the year ends. It was reported that Roque might arrive in Barcelona on December 27, and it seems that the plan remains on track as Xavi spoke in the same vein when pressed about his arrival.

Speaking to reporters, Xavi said: "If everything goes well, he will join us after the holidays. We are in contact with him so that he arrives in good condition.”

Barcelona have been struggling in front of goal and Roque could not have arrived at a better time. However, Xavi brushed aside the idea that Barcelona would be overly reliant on the youngster for goals, and instead urged his senior players to step up.

"We cannot put pressure on Vitor Roque or young people like Lamine [Yamal]. They have to go step by step," he said. "We have to take a step forward as a team. We need to make the difference, we lack effectiveness in the areas. The lack of effectiveness has weighed on us in many games. If we want to turn things around in La Liga, we need to improve there.”

Gavi suffered an ACL injury while representing Spain in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia, which forced him to undergo surgery. However, Barcelona made the most of the opportunity and used 80 per cent of the salary freed by Gavi to register Roque provisionally until June.

After getting Roque on board, Xavi is looking to sign a central midfielder to replace Gavi. However, they must figure out the finances first to fuel a new transfer as they continue to struggle to meet La Liga's FF (Financial Fair Play) regulations. On the pitch, Barcelona will return to action against Almeria on Wednesday in La Liga.