Athletico Paranaense wonderkid Vitor Roque is reportedly keen on signing for FC Barcelona this year despite rumours that the 17-year-old has been in talks with Newcastle United this January.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Brazilian prodigy is ‘dreaming’ of a move to Catalonia, with the La Liga giants the club Roque wants to sign for amid strong European interest from the likes of Chelsea, PSG and West Ham, with Newcastle also approaching the youngster in recent weeks as reported by Globo Esporte.
Lauded as ‘the new Brazilian Ronaldo’ by critics in his homeland, Roque has been in explosive form over the past few months with Athletico, with the attacker scoring 14 goals in 52 senior appearances with the youngster already bagging three in the ongoing U-20 South American Championship.
Given Newcastle’s wealth under the PIF regime and their quest to sign a South American wonderkid, Roque seemed like an ideal fit for the Magpies. However, this latest update from Spain could throw a huge spanner in the works with the youngster now keen to join Barcelona.
Indeed, whilst Newcastle have the wealth to compete with any club in Europe, the pull and the mythos of playing for Barcelona will likely help the Catalan giants win the race to sign Roque, with Xavi Hernandez proving to be a good manager for young players to develop under.
Moreover, with Barcelona set to offload a number of players in the summer, funds could actually be there for the Blaugrana to sign Roque at Athletico’s asking price, meaning Newcastle could once again bet set to miss out on a wonderkid target to a bigger and more established club.
Barcelona signing Roque will sting a lot for Newcastle
Barcelona will always have a natural advantage in transfer battles to sign the next big thing, and Roque is no exception, with the forward himself keen on signing for the European giants over the likes of Newcastle, who will feel the pain of missing out on the 17-year-old Brazilian.
Whilst Newcastle are very much at the start of their new era under PIF, missing out on another top South American talent will hurt for the Magpies, especially with how easily a deal could have been completed after talks with the player over a potential move to St. James Park.
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