Author – Amrit Santlani
Barcelona are strongly pursuing the signing of Brazilian star Vitor Roque, who had an outstanding season with Athletico Paranaense.
According to a report by GOAL, Barcelona are willing to offer 45 million euros (39 million pounds/ 49 million dollars) to secure the services of the Brazilian talent.
Although the club is currently in a turbulent financial situation as it tries to get the green light from La Liga to re-sign Lionel Messi, they are also eyeing a transfer for Roque, who has been attracting interest from all over Europe.
Club president Joan Laporta recently confirmed that they are “doing everything” to secure the return of the prodigal son, who is likely to become a free agent after failing to reach an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain.
In addition, the PSG talisman also has lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, worth 552 million pounds over two years, should he join Al-Hilal. Laporta pointed out that although Barça cannot compete with the financial offer from the Gulf, it can compete with some of the biggest clubs in the world.
The GOAL report also adds that the La Liga giants are eager to secure the transfer of Messi and Roque. The Brazilian teenager has had a breakthrough campaign this season, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in all competitions for Paranaense.
According to reports, the club is in negotiations with the player’s team and it is likely that the transfer will be completed once they receive the green light from La Liga to register their summer signings. Club captain Sergio Busquets is set to leave after spending 18 years at the Camp Nou and, likewise, many other players, such as Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres, could follow Busquets’ example.
The Catalan side certainly need to “offload some dead wood before they can add more firepower to their arsenal”, in other words, get rid of some players before signing others. Athletic Bilbao’s Inigo Martínez is another player who has been linked with the Camp Nou, and would join Barça as a free agent at the end of the current campaign.