FC Barcelona Negotiate Vitor Roque Transfer With Athletico Paranaense To Sign ‘New Suarez’

FC Barcelona are negotiating the transfer of Vitor Roque with his club Athletico Paranaense, according to reports.

The 17-year-old is currently lighting up the South American Sub-20 championships where he is the top scorer on six goals.

Compatriot Andrey Santos trails him on five, and has already guaranteed a move to Chelsea though some details with his work permit need ironing out.

According to SPORT, however, Roque could soon join Santos in Europe where is fancied by FC Barcelona.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Catalan daily newspaper says that Barca have already began negotiating his transfer with his club Athletico, and see him as boasting the ‘ideal game characteristics and menality’ to become the ‘new Luis Suarez’ in the medium term and an eventual successor to Robert Lewandowski.

World Cup 2002 winner with the Brazil national team Luiz Felipe Scolari is involved in the negotiations after retiring from the dugout as head coach to become the club’s football co-ordinator.

So too is CEO Alexandre Matto, who is considered one of the best in his position in Brazilian domestic football after his work with Palmerias.

Yet Barca may encounter difficulties reaching an agreement with chairman Mario Celso Petraglia – one of the toughest figures in South America’s largest country when it comes to selling players.

That being said, it is expected that Athletico will accept between €35-40mn ($37.4-43mn) for their star player, who helped them reach the Copa Libertadores final in 2022 and turns 18 at the end of the month.

They will also help Barca in their times of financial hardship – when they have been warned by La Liga president Javier Tebas that they must shave €200mn ($214mn) off their wage bill ahead of 2023/2024 – by allowing the Catalans pay in installments.

Roque could arrive before said season and immediately be incorporated into the first team. He could offer Xavi additional options on the wings too to create positional rivalry for Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha, and his salary also wouldn’t be too high considering his age.

Barca must consider selling Ferran Torres to accommodate Roque’s arrival, and perhaps even Ansu Fati if his form doesn’t improve.

But it is worth taking a punt on Roque considering his relatively low price tag, plus the fact that Barca do not want to live to rue having missed out on another Brazilian talent as seen in recent times with Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Endrick to bitter rivals Real Madrid.