According to Gerard Romero, Barcelona just had a meeting with the entourage of Brazilian prodigy Vitor Roque, who is a top transfer target for the summer.
The 18-year-old attacking sensation has been making waves with his performances for Athletico Paranaense and the Brazil U-20 national team, while he recently got called up to the Selecao senior team as well.
Barcelona have identified Roque as their primary candidate to reinforce the attacking line. The 18-year-old is seen as the ideal candidate to provide cover for Robert Lewandowski and go on to replace him as the first-choice striker in due time.
However, recent reports had suggested that the Blaugrana were running the risk of missing out on Roque as clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea had upped their interest in the 18-year-old, with his father and agent being spotted in London.
Arsenal, in particular, were said to be leading the chase for the Brazilian prospect. At the same time, the Catalans’ Financial Fair Play issues were also cited as a hurdle in any operation.
However, Roque is said to be prioritising a move to Barcelona despite the interest from Premier League as well as PSG and AC Milan.
With the player still having his heart set on a move to Barça, his father Juvenal Ferreira, and agent Ehler Pessoa, who happens to be the right-hand man of Andre Cury, a former associate of the Catalans, were spotted leaving the club’s Ciutat Esportiva complex earlier today.
It indicates that a meeting took place between the club and the teenager’s entourage and it will certainly be interesting to see if it helped advance the summer transfer of the young Brazilian.
Roque is expected to cost around €40 million (including add-ons), although with increased competition Athletico Paranaense could decide to jack up their asking price for their crown jewel. It could pose an issue for Barcelona, but they are determined to find a solution and sign the youngster.
