After Barcelona watched Real Madrid secure the signing of Endrick Felipe from Palmeiras, they settled on another Brazilian starlet to make their own star of the future.
Vitor Roque, 17, of Atletico Paranaense, has been starring in the South American under-20 Championships, scoring six goals on Brazil’s way to victory.
Speaking to Globoesporte, Atletico PR President Mario Celso Petraglia admitted there was interest, but from more than just the Catalan giants.
“There is a race for Vitor Roque.”
Petraglia also went on to open the door to an exit for Roque, admitting that financially they could not compete with the interested parties.
“We cannot pay what the European teams pay. We have already received calls and offers, but they have not reached what we are asking for. There is still a long way to go.”
That may well be Barcelona’s problem too. MD covered the story and explained that Atletico PR may well be looking for something in the region of €30-40m for Roque’s signature. It is something a Premier League side, like Arsenal who have also been linked, might be able to sanction. However with uncertainty over their finances, they would likely need to find a deal that suited them in terms of payments – in no circumstances doe they want to be in a bidding war.
