Barcelona have taken the lead in the pursuit of Athletico Paranaense striker Vitor Roque. The club are working on figuring out the Financial Fair Play formulas to make the operation happen.
Roque has been one of the breakout stars in Brazil over the past year or so, making quite an impression for Athletico Paranaense. The 18-year-old centre-forward also helped the Brazil national team to the U-20 South American Championship triumph recently.
Barcelona have set their sights firmly on a summer move for the young wonderkid. Roque is seen as the ideal understudy for star striker Robert Lewandowski before eventually taking over from the Pole as the lead marksman.
Roque, for his part, is also intent on making the jump to Camp Nou and has publicly admitted his desire to put on the Barcelona jersey recently.
Negotiations with Athletico Paranaense are said to have advanced in recent weeks, with the aforementioned report from SPORT stating that Barça’s advisor Deco has held talks with Athletico director Luiz Felipe Scolari over a transfer.
The Brazilian club are demanding a sum of €30 million plus another €5 million in variables for their prized asset.
While the Blaugrana are intent on capturing Roque’s services, FFP regulations continue to be an issue. Hence, club directors Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff are studying all the possible formulas to make the transfer happen and will not take the next step until they are clear about the situation.
Barcelona have been asked to lower their wage bill by as much as €200 million by La Liga before next season or they face the risk of a transfer ban, as warned by Javier Tebas.
While Roque’s salary is unlikely to be an issue, the club will still need to make one or more important sales as highlighted by president Joan Laporta in an interview on Tuesday if they are to make crucial signings in the summer.
