Premier League leaders Arsenal may now have an advantage over Barcelona in the race to sign Vitor Roque with the La Liga giants facing another spate of financial problems.
There are only so many ‘economic leavers’ the Catalan giants can pull. Barcelona had big plans this summer – Brazil’s most exciting young forward right at the top of their off-season wishlist. But the comments La Liga chief Javier Tebas made at the start of March would have felt like a bucket of ice thrown down Xavi Hernandez’s back.
“As of today, Barcelona doesn’t have any room in its budget to spend in the upcoming transfer window,” Tebas said, via the Daily Mail.
“Barcelona has been involved in questionable behaviour which has had an impact on La Liga and we are acting accordingly. We have ruled that they can no longer sign more players.”
Until, that is, the Blaugrana first raise £178 million in order to ease their Financial Fair Play fears. With Vitor Roque openly courting Barcelona ahead of a potential £40 million move to the Camp Nou – Spain clearly his favoured destination – a de-facto transfer ban feels like the well-timed boost Arsenal were looking for.
Could Arsenal now snatch Vitor Roque from Barcelona?
Barca, Sport say, will now struggle to match the offers put forward by, say, Arsenal, Chelsea and co. The report adds that, this summer, it will ‘only be possible’ for Barcelona to structure any Roque payments via a series of instalments. Therefore spreading the investment over a number of years.
Arsenal, Sport believe, are willing to pay, if not the whole sum up front, then the vast majority of it.
Edu Gaspar, Arsenal’s Brazilian director, opened talks with Roque back in February (Goal). The teenager’s father recently touched down in London too ahead of negotiations with both the Gunners and near neighbours Chelsea. Barcelona also appear to be drawing up contingency plans. One could see Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Chelsea’s forgotten man, return for a second spell in Catalonia (Fabrizio Romano).
Athletico Paranaense starlet Roque scored six goals as Brazil won the U20 South American championship at the start of 2022. So many young Brazilians are often labelled the second coming of Neymar or Pele. Roque’s bustling movement and instinctive finishing, however, have led to comparisons with a certain Uruguayan.
“There are great similarities. Both Luis Suarez and I use a lot of physicality in the way we play,” Roque tells Sport. “We also have things in common; finishing, being very keen on scoring goals.
“That’s the spirit in South America. It’s a way of being very competitive, which makes us different from other footballers.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
