Vitor Roque can't arrive soon enough for Barcelona! Brazilian teenager needs to hit the ground running as others misfire

This all starts with the player who isn't scoring. Lewandowski's numbers aren't necessarily bad - he has scored eight goals and added three assists in La Liga. His brace against Alaves in early November snatched a 2-1 win, while he also found the net in victories over Villarreal, Osasuna and Real Betis. The numbers show that he is still in the Pichici race - even if Jude Bellingham, the league leader, has already bagged 12.

Lewandowski, though, is missing chances at an alarming rate. This is a player who has consistently overperformed his expected goal numbers. In his best three years as a forward - from 2019 to 2022 - Lewandowski outperformed the statistical models every season. In the 2020-21 campaign, the year he was deprived of the Ballon d'Or that seemed a formality, he scored 41 goals from an expected 21 in the Bundesliga alone. These weren't accidents, either. Lewandowski was deadly, making the bad chances look good, and turning the mishit passes into perfectly-placed assists.

This season, though, things look different. Lewandowski is underperforming his xG by over two goals. He has missed 12 big chances - more than anyone in La Liga, and double the next most wayward shooter playing for his side. Pedri, who doesn't have a single La Liga assist to his name so far, really should have five - had it not been for his striker's lack of quality in front of goal.

The signs have been here for a while. The misses started to creep into the Polish striker's game after the 2022 World Cup. His goals dried up towards the end of the 2022-23 campaign, when he endured the two longest goal droughts of his career in the space of three months. It's just the continuation of an already worrying trend.

Lewandwoski, in fairness, saw this coming. After Barca's 4-3 win over Villarreal, he took to the press to criticise his manager.

"Lately that has not been as it should be, so we have been fighting to create more chances in matches. When we see Ferran [Torres] or Ansu [Fati] come on, two players who go forward, we create more chances. Sometimes we don't play with enough attacking players, I don't have support," he said.

His point was well made, not least because he endured a poor start to the season, starved of service leading a disjointed Blaugrana attack. Xavi has pieced together this Barca team in an interesting way, deploying four central midfielders, one winger, and a central striker. What looks to be a lopsided 4-4-2 turns into a 3-2-5 in attack. But that advanced line tends to only contain one natural goalscoring presence, the manager pushing Pedri, Joao Felix, Alejandro Balde and Raphinha along the de-facto front five. The result is throwing half of his team into an attacking zone, and asking them to perform in unfamiliar areas.

It is no wonder, then, that they have struggled to find a rhythm. Barca have scored the fifth most goals in La Liga, despite leading the league in shots, passes in the final third, and possession around the opposing 18-yard-box. But there isn't a natural finisher in the squad outside of Lewandowski. And when he isn't firing, who can they turn to?

This one had been in the works for a while. Deco wasn't named Barca sporting director until July 2023, but Roque's acquisition was hailed as "the first signing of Deco’s era", according to The Athletic. The former midfielder, who was born in Brazil but later represented Portugal at an international level, still has connections in his native country.

And when one of them found Roque - and handed him extended playing time in Brazil's youth national setup - Deco was among the first to know. Barca moved quickly. Messy finances and La Liga regulations meant that they had a small window to secure the signing at the end of the summer window. Their intention had been to bring him in as early as possible (Roque, then 18, could have joined Barca in August). But with a murky financial picture, they were unable to guarantee that he could be registered before the January transfer window.

They arranged the finances all the same, an initial €30 million (£26m/$32m) deemed enough to bring the forward to Catalunya - complete with an unofficial agreement that he would arrive at the club in January. The club rhetoric was that they wanted him to finish his Serie A and Copa Libertadores campaign. The real reason was perhaps clearer: Barca couldn't afford him. And for a while, it didn't appear that they could set up his arrival for January.

Then came a stroke of luck - albeit in unfortunate circumstances. Star midfielder Gavi ruptured his ACL on Spain international duty, allowing Barca to take advantage of a Liga loophole - again! Under league rules, teams are allowed to write off salaries for players who sustain season-ending injuries. Out of nowhere, Barca suddenly had €6m to spare - enough to finalise the first stage of the deal, and announce their star teenage signing.

Barca, in truth, would have liked to have 'Tigrinho' in Catalunya as early as July. After all, it was clear even then that Lewandowski was dropping off, and without a clear backup No.9, Xavi's side needed a boost. And now, they will need it even more.

Roque's talent isn't exactly a secret. He has been rather hastily compared to Ronaldo for some time now - an association unhelpfully thrown on many a Brazilian teenager throughout the years. But there are some touchpoints here. Roque is blessed with incredible pace, and excellent finishing ability. Although he doesn't look like a naturally fluid dribbler, his balance while running at full speed makes him very difficult to stop - and more than capable of evading defenders.

And then, there are the bits that 'O Fenomeno' isn't associated with. Roque is an excellent off-ball runner, and an improving presser - his tackle and interception numbers both spiked this season. He also likes to receive the ball deep, and drive forward. He is among the best in the world in progressive carries, and carries into the final third.

Throw in the fact that Roque is two-footed, and all of the traits of a world-class forward are here.

But it's the more accessible numbers - and career achievements - that will undoubtedly drive more excitement in Catalunya. Roque scored 16 goals and added four assists as an 18-year-old in the Brazilian Serie A and Libertadores this season, all the while playing for a side that scraped its way into the top half of the league.

Meanwhile, an ankle ligament injury stalled his progress. The striker had scored in three straight games before going down with a nasty blow to his foot in Athletico PR's game against Internacional. At first, both his current and future sides feared the worst, but he managed to avoid major injury. Although he needed two months on the sidelines - and didn't quite recapture his best upon return - Barca are not getting an injured player.

They are, however, getting one who already has international experience. Roque was the joint top scorer in the U-20 Copa America earlier in 2023, a tournament showing deemed impressive enough to earn him a senior Brazil cap in March.

And this is the tricky part. Roque has enjoyed a glowing youth career, electric campaign in Brazil, and recognition from his national team setup. He already has a potential Messi-Ronaldo-esque rivalry brewing with Endrick, and a rap song released in his honour.

The proof, however, will be in the performance. Xavi has been inconsistent in his usage of young players, offering heavy minutes to Pedri, Gavi and Alejandro Balde, but protecting the legs of Lamine Yamal and, more recently, Fermin Lopez. The manager suggested, though, that Roque would be needed immediately.

“I hope Vitor Roque can join us in the January window. It’d be crucial for the team, he could help us a lot," he said in a press conference. “Let’s see how it goes, it’s still early but for sure I want Vitor here at Barca as soon as possible."

They were the words of a manager who knows he needs a boost. There are no guarantees to be made here. Roque is an athletic player who flourishes when he has room to operate. Barca face a lot of low blocks. Roque likes to dribble and drive at defenders. Xavi encourages his forwards to move the ball.

But more than anything, Barca need inspiration, a player who can shake a flailing front line into life. And Roque, Ronaldo comparisons and all, might just be that player.