Premier League leaders Arsenal have joined Premier League rivals Newcastle United, West Ham and Chelsea in the race to sign Athletico Paranaense wonderkid Vitor Roque, according to Goal.
When a new Brazilian starlet emerges onto the scene, Edu Gaspar and Arsenal are never usually far behind. The Gunners famously snapped up a teenage Gabriel Martinelli for just £7 million from FC Ituano while showing an interest in the likes of Brenner, Kaio Jorge and the Real Madrid-bound Endrick de Souza.
Edu, Arsenal’s sporting director, recently ‘approached’ Vitor Roque’s representatives with a bid potentially in the pipeline. The London giants will face their fair share of competition, however; Goal claiming that Chelsea, Newcastle, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are also throwing their respective hats into the proverbial ring.
Barcelona are currently at the front of the queue, dialogue between themselves and Athletico Paranaense open.
Arsenal join race to sign Brazil starlet Vitor Roque
Nicknamed the ‘new Ronaldo’ due to his stylistic similarities with O Fenomeno himself, two-time Copa Libertadores winners Athletico are insistent that they will not sell Roque for a penny less than his £52 million price-tag.
Goal, however, believe that the Athletico chiefs may privately be willing to negotiate a lower fee.
“Vitor will probably be sold,” says Luiz Felipe Scolari, the 2002 World Cup winner who know works as a technical director at Athletico Paranaense.
“He’s 17 years old and has a lot to learn on the pitch. But he’s been playing in the Campeonato Brasileiro and the Copa Libertadores since he was 16. He’s a 17-year-old boy with the brain and experience of a 24 or 25-year-old.
“He’s ready. When (a club) comes up with enough money, I think we will sell.”
Roque has added to his already growing reputation at the U20 South American championships; six goals in seven games for Brazil.
“He is going to fly so high,” predicts Ronaldo, arguably the most iconic centre-forward in the Selecao’s storied history.
Players in Brazil are barred from moving to Europe until their 18th birthday. Roque, however, is only 17 for another couple of weeks. As such, there will be nothing to stop Barcelona or Arsenal luring him across the Atlantic this summer.
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