According to a report from Metro, Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their hopes of signing Vitor Roque from Atletico Paranaense after he declared that Barcelona is his preferred destination. It was also stated that the Gunners’ technical director Edu has already approached him to pursue him on a verbal agreement but the Brazilian youngster hasn’t complied as of yet.
Roque’s Impressive Numbers For Atletico Paranaense
The 18-year-old has had a brilliant campaign so far as he produced some influential displays in the attacking third for his side. He has found the back of the net on seven occasions and created two assists over 36 appearances for the Brazilian outfit so far this season across multiple competitions.
The talented forward has been consistent and reliable in the final third after averaging 1.4 shots, 0.4 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game in the Brazilian Serie A.
However, he will need to find a way to improve his link-up play down the middle as he has only completed 70% of his attempted passes in the Brazilian top flight (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Brazilian club expires in the summer of 2027. Therefore, any interested club would have no choice but to meet Athletico Paranaense’s asking price if they are serious about recruiting Roque.
Should Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Look Elsewhere?
The young forward remains one of the highest-rated prospects in South America and has already attracted interest from various clubs. Roque has the ability to create space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal and has got the vision to create some meaningful chances for his teammates down the middle. He remains a decent dribbler with the ball at his feet but is still quite inexperienced to compete at the highest level of Europe.
Still, there is no denying that the Brazilian talent has got the potential to become one of the best players in his position in the foreseeable future. However, there lie concerns over whether he can cope with the physical side of the Premier League if Arsenal were to make an enticing offer to recruit him this summer.
Vitor Roque is already good enough to serve as a sporadic presence in the North London squad. However, he has taken a clear stance on where he would like to play in the near future. He has what it takes to become a success story in the long run and if Barcelona decides to get his signature then a deal is most likely to happen.
With all things considered, if the Catalan giants intervene then the Gunners don’t stand a chance but they could still test the waters by making an irrefutable offer this summer.
