Vitor Roque: Barcelona confident of beating Arsenal & Chelsea to wonderkid

Robin Bairner

• 18 Feb 2023 07:08 CST
• 3 min read

Barcelona are confident of landing Athletico Paranaense striker Vitor Roque, who is wanted by a string of leading clubs, including Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG.

The Catalan club have made the 17-year-old their summer transfer priority, with the player eligible to move after he turns 18 on 28 February.

Vitor Roque has a burgeoning reputation, having impressed in Serie A and then finishing as joint top scorer in the U20 South American Championship along with Chelsea star Andrey Santos.

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Barcelona are said to see the teenager as the long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski thanks to his power and fighting spirit. They are also impressed with his aerial game and that he scores regularly with his left foot, his weaker side.

Athletico Paranaense president Mario Celso Petraglia has already confirmed there is a transfer war brewing for the player, with West Ham, Atletico Madrid and various Italian sides also interested.

“There's a race for Vitor Roque. We cannot afford to pay what the Europeans pay. We've already received calls and offers, but they didn't reach our asking price. It's still a long way off,” he told Globo.

It has been reported that Athletico Paranaense will push for €50 million for their jewel, having rejected a €25m offer previously, though reports in Spain suggest that a deal might be done for €30-40m.

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Vitor Roque transfer latest

According to Mundo Deportivo are in pole position to land Vitor Roque.

It states: “Despite the enormous competition, Barcelona continue to be the best-placed team in the race today, mainly because of the desire of the player.”

Andre Cury, the player's agent, has already met with leading officials at Camp Nou – football director Mate Alemany and sporting director Jordi Cruyff – and Barcelona’s leading South American advisor Deco, who is believed to be a major fan of the striker.

It is believed that during these meetings, it had been made clear to Barcelona that the young striker has made it clear that he wants a move to Camp Nou.

The Catalans are being urged to move quickly on the case by Cury, and it is believed that once carnival is over in Brazil, Barcelona will hold face-to-face meetings with the player's representatives.

Inevitably, the chase is complicated by Barcelona’s delicate financial position, which puts them at a disadvantage compared to their rivals, however, they are confident that because Vitor Roque wants to move to Camp Nou, this is a transfer battle that they can win.