Barcelona has reportedly secured a deal to sign Brazilian talented youngster Vitor Roque as the Blaugrana attempt to find a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
Barcelona is making moves in the transfer market after having failed to bring back Lionel Messi. The club has seen some big departures such as Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Gerard Pique this season.
As such, the club knows that to stay competitive in the next seasons, they have to bring in some new talent. Despite their financial situation, the club has been linked to several players such as Ilkay Gundogan, Joshua Kimmich, and Martin Zubimendi among others. And now they will also sign a very big prospect in Vitor Roque.
Barcelona agrees deal to sign Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque
Barcelona has been linked with Vitor Roque for quite some time. And now according to AS, they have reached a deal in principle to sign him. Vitor’s club Athletico Paranaense will be paid around €40 million. The transfer fee is said to be paid in three installments. Vitor will be given a five-year long-term contract with an unknown salary.
🚨🚨💣| BREAKING: Vitor Roque to FC Barcelona is DONE! Total agreement reached for 5 seasons — for €40M. He will be a blaugrana! @fansjavimiguel ☎️🔥✅ pic.twitter.com/xNEMpbCicr
— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) June 13, 2023
Vitor was also wanted by several other clubs in Europe such as Arsenal and Chelsea. The current technical director of Barcelona and club legend Deco reportedly lead the talks and emerged successful.
But, the deal is still not done as Barcelona needs to sort out their financial situation. As the club is still battling FFP regulations, they will need to work on player exits to solve their salary cap issues. At least three player exits are required to sign the player.
In order to sign players, they will need to return to the 1:1 ratio of signing players. This means they need to generate or save as much money as they want to spend. To sign Roque, they will need to save €40 million to register him.
👀🗣️ Vitor Roque: “Robert Lewandowski has been my inspiration since his Bayern days. For me it would be a dream to be able to play and learn from him at a club like Barça. He is a tremendous goalscorer.” 🔵🔴
— Blaugranagram (@Blaugranagram) June 13, 2023
[ H/T @BlazquezFont ] pic.twitter.com/htPWPFneDL
However, both Roque and his club have agreed in principle to honor the deal as long as the transfer window is open.
The signing of Vitor Roque is part of Barca’s plan to find a replacement for striker Robert Lewandowski. While the Pole has been great for them, winning La Liga and the Pichichi award, he is approaching the age of 35. His contract ends in 2026 and to keep the team in great shape, they need to sign a young player to replace the veteran.
How good is Vitor Roque?
Vitor Roque is one of the most exciting talents coming from Brazil. The 18-year-old has quickly established himself as a great prospect in the Brazilian league.
He was bought by Athletico Paranaense, for a €4.70 million fee. While it is nothing in Europe, in Brazil it is a big fee, especially for an 18-year-old young player. This also proves how much valuable the player is and that he has a high potential.
Vitor Roque is a versatile player, primarily playing as a striker. But he also can play as a winger and an attacking midfielder at times. However, his biggest standout feature is his ability to score goals and his on-the-ball capability. He is also quick with his feet, a very good dribbler, and very pacy, something Barca needs.
Vitor Roque is 18 years old, but has played 39 games for Athletico Paranaense at senior level (league). 9 goals & 4 assists, which is great considering his age + total minutes. pic.twitter.com/EV1eYrCNsu
— Ivar | BadBarcaOpinions (@BadBarcaOpinion) June 14, 2023
The Brazilian is therefore considered perfect for Barca’s way of playing. His abilities will definitely help Barcelona in the attacking aspect. The player is also quite physical and also helps to press to help the team recover the ball.
The player has already scored 4 goals and 2 assists in just 10 games in the ongoing Brazilian league. In all competitions, he has 10 goals and 5 assists in 25 games. He is responsible for 43% of his team’s league goals.
FC Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign 18-year old Brazilian star Vitor Roque for $43 million, according to @diarioas. 💪
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) June 13, 2023
He already has 22 professional goals and has been LIGHTING UP the Brasileiro this season. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/yyZV9RJAU9
He was also prolific for the U-20 Brazil team, having helped them win the 2023 South American championship. As a result, he has also already made his Brazil national team debut.
Vitor Roque will definitely prove to be a great signing for the Blaugrana and as such they have to prioritize signing him as soon as possible.
