Vitor Roque: Brazil wonderkid reveals Barcelona legend he models his game on

Robin Bairner

• 1 Mar 2023 15:51 GMT
• 3 min read

Vitor Roque has caught the eye in recent weeks thanks to the youngster’s transfer links with Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal.

The wonderkid turned 18 on Tuesday, meaning that he is now eligible to move to Europe and sign for a major club.

That deal may well happen in the summer, with a string of teams scrambling to sign the player.

PROFILE: Who is Vitor Roque? The Brazilian wonderkid wanted by Arsenal and Barca

Barca, Chelsea and Arsenal would love to see him in their colours next season, and though he does not fit the archetypal mould of a Brazilian player, he instead believes that there are similarities to be drawn with Luis Suarez, who impressed in the Premier League with Liverpool before having a highly successful stint at Camp Nou.

“There’s a great similarity,” he told Sport. “Both Luis Suarez and I use our physique a lot in our way of playing and we have common points of strength in our finishing and being very aware to score goals.

“From the first whistle of the match, I try to fight to the maximum. I think of it as a plate of food, that I have to go all out to conquer it and satisfy my hunger.”

MORE: Barcelona confident of beating Arsenal & Chelsea to wonderkid

’I always played in FIFA with him’

Meanwhile, Vitor Roque admits that he has been inspired by the Uruguay international, who is at the opposite end of his career at Gremio in Brazil.

“I am very inspired by what he does and I hope that, if I go to Barcelona, I can have the same success that he did,” the teenager admitted.

Vitor Roque’s Athletico Paranaense will face Suarez’s side in the league, and the youngster is eager to play that match.

“I always played in FIFA with him and saw him on TV and now the opportunity to play against each other may arise,” he said. “I hope that when we play we can exchange jerseys. I would be very excited to have his.”

Indeed, it may not be too long until Vitor Roque is at Barcelona playing in Luis Suarez’s former No.9 shirt – although Chelsea and Arsenal will certainly have something to say about that.