Barcelona reach agreement to sign Vitor Roque for €40 million

FC Barcelona reach an agreement to sign Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense for €40 million. The Brazilian will sign a five-year contract.

Barca have been the front runners for Roque and have beaten the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea for his signature. However he also wanted to join the Catalan club, as he rejected offers from other clubs.

Barca will rely on Roque as a back-up to Robert Lewandowski for now, but he will replace the Polish striker eventually in a few years. Barcelona’s new sporting director Deco has played a huge role to secure this deal.

Deco has good knowledge of Brazilian market he also boasts a strong relation with Vitor Roque’s agent Andre Curry, who was also Barca’s former youth scout.

The Brazilian wonderkid’s transfer is almost sealed, according to AS. However, Barcelona cannot announce his signing until they have made at least three player sales. This will create ample amount of space in the wage bill.

Barcelona reach agreement to sign Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense

The Catalan club will pay the €40 million in three installments to the Brazilian club. The 18-year-old is considered “better than Real Madrid’s future signing Endrick”.

Lewandowski struggled to score goals after returning from the World Cup and later admitted that he was not fully fit. However, Roque’s arrival will give Lewandowski some rest, and he will eventually replace him in the near future.

The Brazilian can also play on the wings, and may give tough competition to the likes of Dembele and Raphinha. By signing Roque, Xavi will have his desired signing sealed.

However, Xavi also wants a Pivot to replace Busquests and a Interior to give Pedri some rest. He will bolster his squad as he need quality players to perform at the highest level.

Barcelona were also keeping an eye on Aubameyang, if Roque wouldn’t have arrived, Barca were looking to sign the Gabonese as Lewandowski’s back-up.

Barcelona do not have enough fire power up-front, and Roque will surely provide that next season.