Barcelona Signs Brazilian Youngster Vitor Roque
Barcelona announced the signing of Vitor Roque on Wednesday, paying a fee of around €40 million ($44 million) to secure the talented young striker‘s services from his Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense.
Roque has signed a long-term contract with the club that will keep him with Barcelona through the 2030-2031 season. His contract includes a whopping €500 million release clause.
However, he will not actually join Barcelona until next season. The 18-year-old will remain with Paranaense in Brazil until the summer of 2024.
This is because Barça needs to adhere to Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, meaning the club is not able to finalize his signing this summer due to their current contractual obligations for next season. To adhere to FFP regulations and secure the talented Brazilian’s signature, Barça has instead agreed to delay his signing until next summer.
Then, Roque will make the leap across the pond and join his new teammates in Barcelona.
So, who is Vitor Roque, and why was Barça so keen on signing him?
Roque is seen as one of the most promising young strikers in the world. At only 18-years-old, he has already scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 65 caps for Paranaense. This season, he is the second-highest goalscorer in the Brasileiro Série A, a very impressive stat for a player his age.
He is already scoring goals at an elite level, which is the main reason Barça was interested in signing him. The club needed a long-term replacement for aging superstar Robert Lewandowski. Now, they have it in Roque, who if he makes good on the incredible potential he has, can become a generational talent.
This is Barcelona’s third signing this summer. The club also signed İlkay Gündoğan and Iñigo Martínez on free transfers earlier this window.
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