According to a breaking report from Gerard Romero, Barcelona cannot afford the signing of Brazilian prodigy Vitor Roque as of today. The €40 million price tag is a figure that cannot be reached considering the club’s economic situation.
The player had gone as far as to publicly declare Barcelona as the team he wanted to join, and the interest from the Catalans was real. However, he is now leaning closer towards a move to the Premier League or the Portuguese top flight. Moreover, his name no longer generates a consensus within the Barcelona administration.
The Athletico Paranaese wonderkid has been Barcelona’s top transfer target for the centre-forward position for a while now. Several clubs arrived and disappeared from the scene along the way, but Barcelona persisted as a constant option given their need for a striker and the player’s preference.
Earlier this week, it was even reported that Xavi Hernandez had given the green light to sign Roque in June. Moreover, the club had also overseen meetings with his father and agent to explain the vision and project not too long ago.
The dramatic turn of events implies that the Catalans will be unable to complete the signing of a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski in June. Instead, they might be forced to turn to alternatives like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Valentin Castellanos.
In 29 appearances in the Brasileiro Serie A 2022, Roque scored five goals and provided two assists for his side. Further, he averaged 1.4 shots and 0.4 key passes per game with two chances created.
Arsenal and Chelsea could now be best placed to land the 18-year-old in the summer transfer window as he appears set to step into the Premier League. Only time will tell if things turn out that way, or whether Barcelona can somehow pull off the deal even though it seems unlikely at this point.
