Barcelona ‘gift’ €4.5m in winger’s economic rights to Real Betis as part of Vitor Roque deal | OneFootball

Real Betis have taken full advantage of Barcelona and Palmeiras’ urgency to finalize the Vitor Roque transfer, securing an unexpected financial boost in the process.

As compensation for allowing Roque’s early departure, the Andalusian outfit will receive an additional 30% of Ez Abde’s economic rights, bringing their total ownership of the Moroccan winger to 80%, reports SPORT.

Currently, Abde is valued at €15 million, meaning the 30% share Barça relinquished is worth €4.5 million, which they have ‘gifted’ to Los Verdiblancos.

This could turn into a massive windfall for Real Betis if they sell Abde this summer, with several clubs already monitoring the player.

Barça needed to offload Vitor Roque quickly

Barcelona were determined to offload Vitor Roque immediately, keen to recover part of their failed investment in the Brazilian forward, who was not in their long-term plans.

The club did not want to wait until summer, fearing that Palmeiras might back out of the deal and knowing that Betis was already set to return Roque on June 30.

Keeping Roque would have created a major problem, as a new loan would risk further devaluing him.

The first obstacle to Roque’s sale was Spanish Football Federation regulations, which blocked his transfer since the La Liga window was closed. Barcelona and the player’s representatives took the matter to FIFA, who eventually approved the move.

Barcelona were in a hurry to offload Roque. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

However, Betis still needed to be convinced to release Roque early – and they saw a golden opportunity to negotiate.

Barcelona forced to give in

Although Betis had no real sporting need for Roque, they held firm in negotiations, demanding financial compensation for terminating the loan early.

Barcelona refused to pay cash, as selling Roque for less than €25.5 million would have meant registering a financial loss.

Palmeiras, meanwhile, refused to offer any additional payment to Betis, as their €25 million fee was already a record signing for Brazilian football. This forced Barcelona to find a solution.

Initially, Barça offered Betis a percentage of any future Vitor Roque sale, but no agreement was reached. Instead, Betis demanded a significant increase in their ownership of Abde, bringing them close to full control of the player.

With time running out, Barcelona ultimately gave in to Betis’ demands. The exact percentage of Abde’s transfer rights was debated, but in the end, Barça ceded 30% without much resistance, surprising even the Betis board with how quickly they accepted the deal.

With Abde’s market value rising, Barcelona have given up a highly valuable asset. Interest from Saudi Arabian clubs and European sides could lead to a major transfer this summer, allowing Betis to cash in significantly.