Done Deal: Barcelona complete Vitor Roque signing
Barcelona have completed the signing of forward Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense for a fee worth €40 million.
The 18-year-old Brazilian wonderkid has penned a contract that ties him to the Catalan giants until the 2030-31 season and has a release clause set at €500 million. He will however link up with the team at the start of the 2024-25 season.
Roque is Barcelona’s third summer signing after the arrivals of free agents Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez from Manchester City and Athletic Bilbao respectively.
Roque has starred for Athletico Paranaense, scoring 22 goals in 65 apperances for the Brazilian outfit and helping them to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores last season where they lost 3-1 on aggregate to fellow Brazilian Flamengo.
The Timoteo native has also earned one cap for the Brazil national team.
FC Barcelona signs Vitor Roque! 🇧🇷
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 12, 2023
Barcelona president Joan Laporta says he expects Roque to score goals much like Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
“He very much has his own style. You can’t really compare him with [retired Brazil strikers] Ronaldo or Romario. He is someone that is deadly with both feet inside the box,” Laporta told Mundo Deportivo.
“He is different to what we have had here before. If you had to compare him to anyone, it would be Ronaldo, who was a force of nature with us. [Roque] has bags of potential, is young, powerful and Brazilian.”
Roque also starred for Brazil at the 2023 South American U-20 Championship, finishing as the joint-top scorer with six goals along with Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.
His career began at Cruzeiro in 2021 before he joined Athletico Paranaense the following year.
