Barcelona will reportedly face a bidding war to sign 17-year-old Brazilian attacking sensation Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense.
According to a report by Spanish outlet AS, Barcelona will look to sign Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense in the summer transfer window. The Brazilian giants are unsure about the price tag they want to set for their attacking sensation. So the 17-year-old will likely be the subject of a bidding war later this year.
Vitor Roque has become the latest Brazilian prodigy to become a hot property in the transfer market. High-profile clubs across Europe recently vied for the services of Endrick before Real Madrid won the race. And the Athletico Paranaense striker might be the next big-money whizkid to move to Europe.
The 17-year-old has gone from strength to strength since joining Athletico-PR from Cruzeiro. And he has a decent tally of seven goals and three assists in 1,762 minutes of action. In addition, the teenage sensation has made his mark for Brazil at the Under-20 South American Championships. And Vitor Roque’s progress has captured the attention of several clubs, including Barcelona.
The Brazilian attacking sensation has been on Barcelona’s radar for a long time. And the interest in the teenage wonderkid makes sense, considering Robert Lewandowski is well into his thirties. So even though the veteran striker arrived at Spotify Camp Nou last summer, Barcelona will need to identify his successor.
Vitor Roque has thus emerged as a viable target for the Blaugrana. Considering he is only 17 years old, the youngster can initially learn the ropes from Lewandowski before eventually becoming the first-choice striker for Barcelona. And recent reports have claimed that he will prioritise joining Barcelona when he leaves Athletico-PR.
But Barcelona will face a bidding war to sign the Brazilian striker from Athletico-PR. That is because the Brazilian giants are unsure of Vitor Roque’s price tag. And with several other clubs, including Arsenal, keen on signing him, a big-money deal might be on the cards. Such a situation might work against cash-strapped Barcelona.
The Blaugrana cannot afford to pay the big bucks for players amid the never-ending financial woes. But it will be interesting to see if Barcelona can bypass the competition to sign the 17-year-old within the desired budget. For now, a bidding war seems to be on the cards for the Brazilian attacking sensation.
