According to Spanish media, Arsenal are leading the race to sign Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque, who is ‘determined’ to play for Barcelona.
The 18-year-old joined Athletico Paranaense from Cruzeiro last April for €4.7 million and signed a five-year contract.
He has shown tremendous potential and is already attracting interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.
Roque has ten goals and three assists in 40 Athletico appearances and was recently awarded his first Brazilian national team cap.
Roque played 25 minutes against Morocco in a friendly earlier this month, an incredible achievement for an 18-year-old playing in his home country.
Interim Brazil manager Ramon Menezes gave Roque his senior debut after he had done so for the Under-20s.
As previously stated, Arsenal is the club with the most interest in the teenager.
According to Mundo Deportivo, this is the case. According to a report published Thursday morning, ‘Operation Vitor Roque’ in Barcelona is not progressing.
The international break has been used by Premier League clubs to ‘accelerate contacts,’ with Arsenal establishing themselves as the club ‘best positioned’ to sign the young attacker.
Chelsea, who missed out on Endrick, are also interested in signing Roque, but the Blues are ‘going through economic squeezes’ after spending over €600 million on 16 new players in the previous two transfer windows.
This has put Arsenal in a strong position to sign Roque, but Barcelona cannot be ruled out.
The 18-year-old is reportedly ‘determined’ to play at the Nou Camp, but due to financial constraints, a move to England is more’realistic’.
Roque’s representatives and father are in London to discuss a move to Arsenal, but he will also travel to Barcelona to ‘calibrate the possibilities’ of joining the La Liga giants.
Due to financial difficulties, Barcelona has ‘cooled’ their interest in the player.
Meanwhile, Arsenal director of football Edu Gaspar is working on the deal and has been in contact with the club for “months.”
Mikel Arteta may be looking for a new central defender this summer, with Rob Holding serving as William Saliba’s immediate backup.
Holding has done well most of the time he has been drafted into the starting XI, but he is not someone who, in my opinion, should be playing regular minutes for a team that wants to win the Premier League and the Champions League.
Garcia’s future in Catalonia is uncertain now that the club has agreed to sign Athletic Bilbao centre-back Inigo Martinez on a free transfer at the end of the season.
When he became a free agent in the summer of 2021, the Spain international joined Barcelona from Manchester City.
He has fallen out of favor under Xavi, but he has played 21 times this season across all competitions.
