Barcelona have confirmed the much-anticipated signing of Brazilian striker Vitor Roque, who will join the club at the start of the 2024/25 season.
An agreement with Athletico Paranaense was reached last week after a tough transfer battle, where Barca edged out some of the top European clubs.
The Brazilian wonderkid will pen a new six-year deal with the Catalan giants, starting next summer.
The Blaugrana will pay the Brazilian club a fixed fee of €30 million, while Roque is set to earn a whopping €31m in add-ons, which includes Ballon d’Or-related bonuses.
After recently missing out on Arda Guler to arch-rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona have snapped up Roque, who is considered one of the best young prospects in the world.
The 18-year-old had a stellar campaign at the U20 South American Championship at the start of the year before continuing his rich vein of form at the club level. He has racked up 21 goals and six assists in 2023.
Nicknamed Tigrinho (little tiger), Roque is touted as the long-term successor of Robert Lewandowski and the player who can mark a new era at Barca.
A strong centre-forward with excellent dribbling skills, Roque’s playing style resembles legendary striker Luis Suarez, who left a great legacy during his time with the Blaugrana.
Lewandowski will continue to lead the attack heading into next season, and it remains to be seen whether Barca will sign a back-up striker this summer.
Barca have completed the signings of Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez on free transfers in the transfer window.
The Catalan giants are also working on a deal to sign Girona midfielder Oriol Romeu, who has been identified as the replacement for Sergio Busquets.
