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Barcelona have agreed a deal with Athletico Paranaense that will see them land teenager Vitor Roque. But the Brazil forward won’t make the switch until January, the following year in 2024.
Roque made his senior international debut in March less than a month after turning 18. By then, he already had nearly a year with Athletico under his belt and had previously broken into the first-team at Cruzeiro – the same that club that handed Ronaldo his debut 30 years ago.
Barcelona had long been considered favourites to land Roque, but they still had to overcome rival Premier League interest to secure a deal. Arsenal and Chelsea were both in touch with his representatives, with Manchester United and Newcastle keeping an eye on things further afield.
A switch to Camp Nou had also been the player’s own preference.
Having been close to agreeing a deal with Athletico last month, where the only hurdle left to clear on a €40m transfer was the structure of it, Barcelona have now finalised things. A five-year deal with Roque has also been agreed until 2028.
However, the budget limitations at Barcelona saw them ask to delay his actual arrival in Catalonia until January. By that point, the club will have had more opportunity to clear the decks and make room for him as financial issues continue to impact football operations.
The delay in proceedings will also give Roque the opportunity to finish the 2023 Brazilian season, which runs until December, with Athletico.
Barcelona winger Raphinha has already been asked for his opinion on his Selecao colleague: “I hope he will become my teammate at Barcelona. We’re talking about a high quality football player. He’d help Barça a lot.”
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