Recent reports from Gazzetta dello Sport (subscription required) state that Manchester United are keen on signing Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque in the summer transfer window as Erik ten Hag looks set to add to his attacking options.
The report further states that the Red Devils are in pole position to sign the 17-year-old wonderkid at the end of the season; however, they will have to splash an amount of £52.5 million (Vitror’s release clause) and beat off the competition from French giants Paris Saint-Germain in order to secure his signature.
Having come through the ranks at Cruzeiro, Vitor Roque signed for fellow Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A side Athletico Paranaense in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of €4.70 million. Over the course of the last ten months, the striker has scored seven goals and assisted three more across all competitions.
Besides, he has managed to put up some impressive numbers on the board this term – averaging 1.4 shots, 0.4 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per ninety minutes in the Brazilian top-flight.
One For The Future?
“Whatever we ask of him, he does, but his best position is No.9.”
“He is someone who knows how to play in that area of the pitch, is able to constantly find space and participates well in other aspects of the game. He is the kind of No.9 that I wouldn’t have wanted to mark when I was playing.” – former Brazil coach Luiz Scolari (via Goal).
Manchester United are in dire need of reinforcements in the striker’s department; however, spending 60 million Euros on an unproven, young striker doesn’t sound like something the board would do at the moment. The 17-year-old could be a great option for the future, but ten Hag needs a player who can immediately slot into the number nine role.
(Stats from WhoScored)
