Barcelona will unlikely cough up €50 million to sign 18-year-old Brazilian striker Vitor Roque, a target for Arsenal.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Barcelona will not pay €50 million to sign Vitor Roque. The 18-year-old Athletico Paranaense striker is also a target for Arsenal and several other Premier League clubs. And Athletico-PR will demand €50 million to concede 85 per cent of his rights.
Vitor Roque has established himself as one of the best young strikers in the world since joining Athletico Paranaense. The Brazilian wonderkid was a sensation during his youth career but has taken his game up several notches in the last twelve months.
The 18-year-old has also broken into the Brazilian national team, making his debut last month. And the youngster has started the 2023 season strongly, scoring four goals in six games thus far. Vitor Roque’s progress has not gone unnoticed either, with several high-profile clubs setting their sights on him. And Barcelona and Arsenal are among his prospective suitors.
Barcelona will look to lay down a succession plan for Robert Lewandowski despite signing him last summer. The veteran Polish striker is still on top of his game. But the Catalan giants realise that he is well into his thirties and will not be a long-term solution. Vitor Roque has thus emerged as a top target for Barcelona.
The 18-year-old is also keen on joining Barcelona, suggesting he is ready to make his mark at Camp Nou. Meanwhile, recent reports have claimed that Athletico Paranaense will demand €50 million to concede 85 per cent of his rights. But Barcelona will not shell out the sum, thus handing Arsenal an advantage in his chase.
Recent reports have claimed that the Gunners are well-positioned to sign the Brazilian prodigy. And while the report does not mention Arsenal’s stance on meeting the asking price, they should be more willing than Barcelona to pay €50 million. But Arsenal’s interest in the youngster is surprising, considering they signed Gabriel Jesus last summer.
With Vitor Roque keen on joining Barcelona, the Blaugrana might have some grounds for negotiating the price down. But the equation will change considerably in the scenario of Arsenal offering €50 million to sign the 18-year-old. It will thus be interesting to see how the situation evolves.
