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

Deco wasn't sure Barcelona could make the Vitor Roque deal happen but he was peppered with questions all the same. When would the Brazilian teenager arrive in Barcelona? Could the club, still financially crippled, find the cash to bring him to Catalunya in January? Are you willing to spin a devastating ACL injury to your most important player into a net benefit for your team?

Those queries have been steadily answered over the last few months. Yes, Roque will arrive in Barcelona. Yes, the Blaugrana can afford it. And yes, his club have used Gavi's knee injury as a means to free up some additional salary budget.

These are all confusing sentiments, and emblematic of a lack of clarity in the front office of the reigning La Liga champions. But with the finances sorted - theoretically, at least - they can think about Roque's arrival in January.

And it couldn't happen at a better time. Barca have struggled on multiple fronts of late, Xavi's side putting in a number of drab showings and steadily falling out of the Liga title race. Most worrying, though, has been their lack of quality in the final third. Robert Lewandowski, recently regarded as one of the world's best, is starting to look his age. With few goals coming from elsewhere, Barca are in need of reinforcement. Roque, the highly-rated striker hastily compared to Ronaldo Nazario, has his moment. And he will need to take advantage.