Barcelona will reportedly have to fork out €50 million to secure 85% of the rights of Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque.
A report by AS has served the latest update on the rumours surrounding Vitor Roque. The Spanish outlet has suggested that Athletico Paranaense would demand €50 million to cede 85% of the Brazilian wonderkid’s rights. But it is unclear if Barcelona will be open to such a proposition.
Vitor Roque has become the talk of the town in the last twelve months. The 18-year-old was still at Cruzeiro at this time last year. But he has seen his stock skyrocket following the move to Athletico Paranaense in April 2022. At the same time, the youngster has made waves in age-group football on the international stage.
The teenage sensation was recently in action as Brazil won the Under-20 South American Championships. And the Brazilian wonderkid has since returned to score three goals in four games for Athletico-PR. Meanwhile, Vitor Roque’s progress has captured the attention of Barcelona.
Barcelona will look to sign a young striker in the summer transfer window. That will serve two purposes, as they lack a backup for Robert Lewandowski. In addition, the veteran Polish striker’s advancing age means Barcelona will need a succession plan for him.
Brazilian talent Vitor Roque when asked about Raphinha and their compatibility: “I don’t know… I don’t play for Barcelona yet”, reports @mundodeportivo 🔵🔴🇧🇷 #FCB
Negotiations between Barça and Athl. Paranaense are still ongoing. The two clubs are in contact. pic.twitter.com/FOvOIFCbQN
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 22, 2023
Vitor Roque has thus emerged as a viable target for Barcelona. The 18-year-old Brazilian wonderkid has the potential to be a long-term solution in the final third for Barcelona. But the Blaugrana will have to loosen the purse strings to the tune of €50 million to sign the youngster.
That might be a problem for Barcelona in the wake of Javier Tebas’s recent comments. The La Liga president has asserted that he will not let the Catalan giants sign a player this coming summer unless they balance their books. Nonetheless, the Brazilian wonderkid remains a top target, with the player himself keen on moving to Camp Nou.
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The 18-year-old recently seemed bullish about joining Barcelona and stamping his authority at Camp Nou. But with Athletico Paranaense demanding €50 million to cede 85% of his rights, the situation is complicated. The Brazilian giants want to retain 15% to benefit from a future sale. And it will be interesting to see if Barcelona will be open to shelling out €50 million in the coming months.