'A dream come true': Vitor Roque upon landing in Barcelona

Vitor Roque has landed in Barcelona.

The Brazilian forward arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday morning where he underwent his medical tests as he awaits the returns of his soon-to-be teammates from the holiday break.

The Catalan side signed Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense for a deal in the neighborhood of €40 million.

The club's social media was all Vitor Roque on Wednesday, documenting his arrival to the city, then the club facilities and then the customary medical tests where his height was measured followed by run on the treadmill.

"I cannot wait to get started," said Roque. "I'm here to learn from this group and to score goals. It's a dream come true."

Initially, there were doubts whether Barcelona would be able to bring Roque over during the winter transfer window or wait until the summer. One of the reasons he was able to arrive now is due to Gavi's injury, who is set to miss the rest of the season.

Ideally, Barcelona would have liked for Roque to slowly integrate himself into the team and have a chance to settle since he's only 18 years old and everything, aside from the game, is going to be different for him.

Given Barcelona's lack of success in front of goal and the fact they currently sit fourth in LaLiga, he may not have that luxury. With Lewandowski showing his age, Roque may see more minutes than even he envisioned. He's coming off a long-term injury himself, which means Barcelona will have to monitor how much he plays.

In any respect, having Roque available for the second half of the league campaign, and Champions League, should be a boost for Xavi Hernandez. Roque gets a head start for next season and has a chance to contribute this season. It allows Xavi the opportunity to rest Lewandowski and replace him with an actual striker and not have to experiment with Ferran Torres.

Still, the club have to be careful and not apply all the pressure on such a young player. Roque cannot be expected to come in and solve all of their woes in front of net. The other forwards will need to step us as well.

Barcelona supporters may not have to wait long to see Roque debut as all signs point to him being available for their next match against Las Palmas on Thursday, Jan. 4.