According to Diario SPORT, Vitor Roque was offered to RCD Espanyol months before joining FC Barcelona, and that too, at a much lower price.
The story goes that Roque would have been available for just 10 million euros, much lower than the 30 million plus bonuses that Barcelona paid.
But for whatever reason, Espanyol turned down the offer. It could have been because they thought he was not ready, or simply because they did not have the money to make the investment.
Then, it was Barcelona who signed him in the summer of 2023 from Athletico Paranaense.