Palmeiras pressuring La Liga to sanction Barcelona misfit’s transfer after FIFA approval | OneFootball

The Vitor Roque transfer saga has taken a lot of twists and turns in recent days as Barcelona, Palmeiras, and Real Betis tried to reach an agreement beneficial for everyone involved.

Just when it appeared that the 19-year-old Barcelona misfit, currently on loan at Betis, would end up returning to Brazil, La Liga and the RFEF decided to intervene and block the transfer due to some bureaucratic issues.

This, in turn, forced Barcelona to go to FIFA for a resolution, who have now given the green light for the operation.

Palmeiras put pressure on La Liga

In the aftermath of this, Globoesporte (h/t Mundo Deportivo) reports that Palmeiras have now contacted La Liga to seek clarity on their stance.

The Brazilian club’s legal team has used FIFA’s green light as leverage, citing Article 5.2 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

Vitor Roque waiting for Palmeiras move. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Palmeiras also referenced a precedent set by FIFA with Pedro Lima, a player previously loaned to Norwich City.

Despite the Brazilian transfer window being closed, Palmeiras were allowed to recall him and immediately offload him to NK Osijek in Croatia.

With this legal backing, Palmeiras are increasing pressure on La Liga, hoping to break their resistance.

The Spanish league had blocked Barcelona from selling Vitor Roque, arguing that the club cannot recall a loaned player while the domestic transfer window is closed and then immediately sell him.

But with FIFA’s green light on the operation, the Brazilian giants are ramping up the pressure on La Liga to approve the operation.

Both Palmeiras and Barcelona remain determined to exhaust every possible option before the Brazilian transfer window closes this upcoming Friday.

Should the operation fail, the Brazilians will sign the forward in June, when the FIFA emergency transfer window opens for ten days before the Club World Cup. Either way, they are certain to sign the 19-year-old with Barça set to pocket €25 million.