Arsenal and Chelsea have joined Barcelona in the race to sign Brazilian teenager Vitor Roque.
Barcelona are chasing a deal to sign the 18-year-old from Athletico Paranaense with the forward having impressed since breaking into the senior side. Roque scored seven goals in all competitions last season and was named in the 2022 Copa Libertadores Team of the Tournament.
The teenager earned his first cap for the senior Brazil side this month, following a starring role in the nation’s South American U-20 Championship success earlier this year. Roque finished as the joint-leading scorer with six goals, alongside teammate Andrey Santos, who will link up with Chelsea this summer after agreeing a move to Stamford Bridge in January.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Roque is Barcelona’s priority target as the club look to add cover for Robert Lewandowski, but reports in Spain have revealed that the club face competition from the Premier League.
Sport are reporting that Arsenal and Chelsea have entered the race for Roque and the player’s father and representatives have flown to London for talks.
Each possess a financial advantage over Barcelona given the Spanish side’s economic issues, while Arsenal will hope the club’s core of Brazilian players can prove persuasive in securing a deal.
