Barcelona Signs Young Talent Vitor Roque for January Move

Barcelona Signs Young Talent Vitor Roque for January Move

Vitor Roque of Athletico Paranaense celebrates after scoring the team´s second goal during the Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2023 group G match between Athletico Paranaense and Alianza Lima at Ligga Arena on June 27, 2023 in Curitiba, Brazil. (Image-Getty)

 Brazilian forward Vitor Roque is poised to make a move to Barcelona in January, as confirmed by Club Athletico Paranaense. The 18-year-old talent is set to play his final home game against Santos on Sunday before embarking on his European venture.

Barcelona secured Roque's signing from Athletico in July for a reported fee of 40 million euros, along with an additional 21 million euros in add-ons. The promising player inked a seven-year contract with the Spanish giants.

Barcelona has faced financial challenges, leading to difficulties in complying with LaLiga's Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, hindering their ability to register new signings over the past two seasons. The status of Roque's eligibility is also unclear due to these constraints.

However, the club has managed to create room in the salary cap, primarily due to the long-term knee injury to midfielder Gavi. This development allows Barcelona to include Roque in their squad in January, providing crucial depth behind the 36-year-old forward, Robert Lewandowski.

Roque, who recently returned from a two-month absence due to an ankle injury, demonstrated his form last weekend by playing 26 minutes in a goalless draw against Vasco. In Friday's match against Cruzeiro, he played for 45 minutes and scored his first goal since September.

Having joined Athletico at the beginning of 2022 from the same Cruzeiro academy that produced former great Ronaldo Nazario, Roque has made a significant impact. With 28 goals in 80 appearances, he played a key role in helping Athletico reach the Copa Libertadores final last year.

Roque earned his first cap for Brazil in March, becoming the youngest debutant for the five-time world champions at 18 years and 25 days since Ronaldo's debut in 1994 at the age of 17.