Chelsea and Barcelona have been linked with a move for the Brazilian centre forward Vitor Roque.
According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Chelsea are now pushing to sign the talented 18-year-old forward at the end of the season, and they are looking to beat Barcelona to his signature.
The Blues certainly have the financial resources to get the deal done and it remains to be seen whether Barcelon can press ahead with their efforts and secure the services of the youngster.
Roque is highly rated in South America and he has a big future ahead of him. The 18-year-old is regarded as the next big thing to have come out of Brazilian football and he could prove to be a quality long-term acquisition for both clubs.
Apparently the talented young forward could cost around €40 million (£35m) this summer.
Chelsea are currently working hard to get the deal across the line whereas Barcelona are now looking at the transfer as a potentially complicated one. The Spanish outfit have limited resources and they are aware of the fact that they won’t be able to compete with Chelsea financially.
It remains to be seen whether they can convince the player to snub an approach from the London club and move to Camp Nou instead.
Both Chelsea and Barcelona are lacking in depth when it comes to the attacking department and they could use a quality finisher. While Roque is still young, he has all the attributes to develop into a top-class player for the two clubs.
Chelsea are in desperate need of a quality goalscorer, and the 18-year-old Athletico Paranaense prodigy could sort out their attacking problems for the foreseeable future. Similarly, Barcelona need a quality alternative to Robert Levandowski and the 18-year-old would be the ideal long-term replacement for the Polish international.
