Vitor Roque’s agent has confirmed that Barcelona and the 18-year-old have reached an agreement to sign him this summer. Roque is a protégé of Athletico Paranaense.
Roque’s recent success in his native country, where he averages a goal every three games for Paranaense, has caught the eye of several elite European clubs.
Roque has amassed 22 goals and nine assists in 66 games since leaving Cruzeiro in April 2022, including 15 goals and six assists from 30 games in the 2023 season.
The attacker, who was born in 2005, also recently helped Brazil win the Under-20 South American championship. He scored six goals and shared the Golden Boot with Chelsea’s Andrey Santos.
Roque received his first senior Brazil cap in a March friendly against Morocco thanks to his impressive performances at the Under-20 level, and Barcelona has been interested in signing him for some time.
Roque’s progress was also thought to be being monitored by Arsenal and Chelsea, and a recent report suggested that Manchester United might try to sabotage his move to Camp Nou at the eleventh hour.
Roque’s agent, Andre Cury, however, revealed to ge.globo that his client is moving to Catalonia after more than a year of discussions with Barca sporting director Deco.
“I talked to Deco about Vitor for nearly a year, and we’ve finally come to an understanding. I thank Barca for their confidence and we have selected the best project for Vitor,” Cury said.
Athletico Paranaense, where Roque is under contract until May 2027, is said to have negotiated a lucrative deal for the striker’s transfer, and Barcelona could end up shelling out as much as €60 million (£51.3 million) for his services.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Barca will pay €30 million (£25.63 million) up front, with Paranaense possibly receiving an equal amount in future add-ons, one of which is related to the Ballon d’Or.
According to reports, Roque has signed a seven-year contract with Barcelona through 2030. The striker will spend the ensuing months in Brazil before joining Xavi’s team in January 2024.
In addition to Ilkay Gundogan, Inigo Martinez, and Mikayil Faye (who will play for the youth team), Roque is expected to be Barcelona’s fourth summer signing.
Prior to starting Barça’s La Liga title defence, Xavi is still rumoured to be looking for a new right-back and another midfielder. However, the Blaugrana are reportedly close to signing Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda.
Despite replacing Sergio Busquets with Gundogan on a free transfer, Barca is reportedly looking to add Oriol Romeu from Girona to their midfield. Romeu spent seven years at Camp Nou between 2004 and 2011, but only saw action in two first-team games.
