Despite not making too many moves during the January transfer window, Barcelona have kickstarted their plans for the summer ahead, with Vitor Roque believed to be one of their top targets.
The young forward from Brazil currently plies his trade with Athletico Paranaense. Aged just 17, he is regarded as the next big thing coming out of Brazilian football along with Palmeiras starlet Endrick, who agreed to join Real Madrid in 2024 earlier this season.
After missing out on Endrick, Barcelona are determined to sign Vitor Roque. And as per Depredict, they are even confident of securing the services of the young forward due to a series of reasons.
For one, the club are seeking the advice of Deco, who has an excellent relationship with Luiz Felipe Scolari, the football co-ordinator for Athletico Paranaense. Working together, the club are confident they can find a way to secure the deal for Roque.
Barcelona are further helped by the fact that Athletico PR are willing to sanction the sale of the youngster by accepting payments in instalments. This could be vital for the Catalans, as they are currently battling with La Liga over Financial Fair Play regulations.
The report adds that Roque has been valued at around €30 million with variables worth up to €5 million. Barcelona are certainly not in a position to afford such an amount, so the club must come up with an imaginative solution to sign the Brazilian.
From a technical perspective, Vitor Roque is being targeted as a direct long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski. His youth exuberance, coupled with his qualities as a modern forward makes him an ideal candidate for Barça as they look to nail down a solid core in the attacking department in the years to come.
It will be interesting to see if Barcelona plot to fund the move for Roque by sanctioning the sale of Ansu Fati, who has become a target for both Manchester United and Arsenal.
