Arsenal have reportedly stepped up their interest to sign Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque, with Mikel Arteta now approving a move.
According to UOL, the Gunners have have been given the green light from the boss to move for the 17-year-old Athletico Paranaense sensation, though Arsenal could have to pay as much as €40m (£34m) to sign Roque in the summer.
As per the report, FC Barcelona are also heavily interested in Roque and are viewed by many as the favourites for the Brazilian striker. However, Arsenal’s wealth and their potential return to the UEFA Champions League could give the Gunners the edge in a deal for the attacker.
Arsenal now on course to sign Brazilian sensation Vitor Roque
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A star for Brazil in their recent U-20 South American Championship triumph, there’s quite a lot to be excited about when it comes to Roque, with the striker even being likened to the original Ronaldo by the great man himself. And for Arsenal fans, you can’t help but be excited by this rumour.
Any club trying to sign a Brazilian wonderkid is immediately going to get the right kind of attention from supporters, and the case will be the same for Roque and Arsenal, with fans on social media already clamouring for Arteta and Edu Gaspar to bring the teenager to north London at the earliest possible point.
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Indeed, whilst there is a lot to be excited by when it comes to Roque, Arteta and his transfer team need to be intelligent when it comes to actually pulling the trigger for the attacker, with £34m for a teenager quite the outlay to make, even when you take into account Arsenal’s recent spending on young players.
Arteta has to be certain he wants South American youngster this summer
Arsenal’s strikers are quite ideal given how Arteta wants his team to play, with Gabriel Jesus the main starter whilst Eddie Nketiah has shown he is the ideal backup to his Brazilian counterpart. And even though Roque is six years younger than any of the Gunners’ current options, there is always a risk with signing a player this young for this much.
The north London side might have struck gold with Gabriel Martinelli, yet the same might not be said for Roque, who could struggle with the leap from South America to England or even the Premier League itself, a division that has broke many top prospects before they even had a chance to develop.