Real Betis Sporting Director Manu Fajardo was unequivocal at the weekend that Vitor Roque had not requested a departure from the club, amid consistent links with Brazilian giants Palmeiras. O Verdao are reportedly keen to make a splash in the transfer market, and will try to complete a deal before the end of the month, or come back in the summer for Roque.

“Neither he, nor FC Barcelona, ​​nor his entourage, nor I have asked Vítor Roque to leave. It’s false,” Fajardo told Relevo over the weekend, but the rumours surrounding his future continue to persist. Last week agent Andre Cury denied a move was on the cards too, and Betis are reportedly reluctant to weaken their squad ahead of the final few months of the season. Sport say that there are two incentives for Los Verdiblancos to accept a potential exit.

Frenkie de Jong has overtaken Marc Casadó in Barça’s midfield, starting four of the last five games. In 2025, De Jong has started seven matches to Casadó’s six. Via @gbsans

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One is the potential saving on Roque’s salary, and another is a financial penalty that Betis will face if Roque does not reach a set number of starts this season. With the arrival of Cucho Hernandez, and Manuel Pellegrini’s recent preference for Cedric Bakambu over the Brazilian, that has come under threat.

However the key shift for any of the pieces to fall into place is for Palmeiras to convince Roque to make the move, something they are yet to do. Roque has his own misgivings about the idea of returning to Brazil after just a year in European football, but is also well aware of the fact that at Betis, his minutes are limited, and is keen to play regular football.

For their part Barcelona suspect Betis will need a financial incentive from them in order to sanction the exit. However they will not make a move until Palmeiras have the green light from Roque. They are keen to accept the €27m offer Palmeiras are willing to put on the table for Roque though, which would allow them to recoup their money on a player that is no longer in their plans.