Barcelona working on two operations with FC Porto involving a defender and young forward

According to Joaquim Piera’s report in SPORT, Barcelona and FC Porto are currently in discussions regarding the sale of Mike Faye and a one-season loan deal for Vitor Roque.

It is important to mention that Deco has taken the initiative to address the backlog of work that accumulated after the recent meeting with Hansi Flick where they laid out plans for the team. 

Working in harmony with the German coach, Deco has started leveraging his professional network to tackle each task on his agenda and one of the key avenues Deco is exploring is with FC Porto, a club he knows well and where he once earned idol status. 

Barcelona need to sell Faye

The aforementioned outlet claims that Deco recently had a teleconference with Porto president Andre Villas-Boas. 

They discussed two main topics: the potential transfer of Faye and the one-season loan of Vitor Roque.

Deco and Flick see potential in the Senegalese centre-back, even considering him for a left-back position. Although they hoped he would debut in the first team, this did not happen under Xavi. 

Despite their interest in Faye, Barcelona have an excess of centre-backs, making it necessary to sell some players. 

Barcelona have an agreement with Faye’s representatives: if an offer of at least €15 million comes in and the player is interested both sportingly and financially, the club will accept it. 

However, Barça will retain a repurchase option and a percentage of any future sale profits. This is exactly what Barcelona and Porto are negotiating now.

What about Roque?

Deco believes Porto is an ideal place for players to develop, drawing from his own successful experience there and this belief extends to Roque. 

Flick appreciates the Brazilian forward and believes he needs to improve his performance in the coming season. However, Roque’s future may depend more on Financial Fair Play rules and whether Barcelona can fit him into their salary budget.

Roque’s arrival in January was made possible by an exception to the regulations after Gavi’s long-term injury. Now, this exception no longer applies. Similar to Faye, Deco sees Porto and Portuguese football as beneficial for Roque’s growth. 

Interestingly, Atletico Madrid are also interested in Roque and might include him in a deal for a second loan of Joao Félix, who both Joan Laporta and Hansi Flick favour.