Barcelona set to hand over Lionel Messi's iconic no. 10 jersey to a Brazilian player
Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste confirms Lionel Messi contact
In what may come as heartbreaking news for Barcelona fans, the club is planning to hand Lionel Messi's iconic no. 10 jersey to a new signing who might arrive at Camp Nou during the January transfer window, according to a report inEl Nacional.
18-year-old Vitor Roque, who is currently plying his trade in Serie A with Athletico Paranaense might be wearing the jersey as Barca look to bring him to the club, after signing him earlier this year.
The teenager signed on the dotted lines for Barca for a reported fee of $40 million and agreed to come to the club in 2024. While most had anticipated that Roque would arrive after the summer window, reports claim that Barca's Director of Football, Deco has been working behind the scenes to materialise the deal as soon as possible. Decois set to meet Roque in Brazil and convey the club's intention to register him in January.
Roque not the first to wear the jersey
Although Roque is not the first player to wear the no. 10 jersey after Messi, it is still a big deal for Barca fans who continue to demand that the seven-time Ballon d'Or trophy winner's jersey be kept retired until he comes back for one last chance.
After Messi's departure from Barcelona, the jersey numberwas handed to Ansu Fati. The talented winger, however, could not live up to the expectations of the jersey, primarily due to injuries and remained sidelined for the major part of his stay at the Catalan club. Earlier this year, the Spaniard was shipped to Brighton and Hove Albion on a loan deal to play under Roberto De Zerbi to get back to full fitness and hone his skills.
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Messi left his boyhood club in 2021after the Barcelona board could not work out a deal to manage his salary as well as keep the account books healthy. After the breakdown in talks, Messi signed up for Paris Saint-Germain where he had a rather tumultuous stay.
The Parisians never warmed up to Messi and the latter was forced to move to Inter Miami earlier this year. Since the move to the US, Messi appears to be enjoying his football once again. However, rumours keep doing the rounds that Messi might return to Barcelona one day to finish off his footballing chapter.
(With inputs from agencies)
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