Barcelona pursuing winter move for Brazil forward Vitor Roque | OneFootball

Barcelona are reportedly close to signing Atletico Paranaense star Vitor Roque.

The 18-year-old is one of the brightest youngsters in Brazil, having netted 16 goals in 57 appearances.

The La Liga giants have held talks with Atletico and the two clubs are expected to reach an agreement for around €30-35 million.

However, Vitor will not join Barca during the summer transfer window, according to Marca. They will instead be pursuing a winter move for him.

Barca must offload players before they can register Roque and they want to delay his move until January.

The reigning La Liga champions have been dealing with financial issues. They wanted to re-sign Lionel Messi but were unable to offer him a suitable financial package.

The Argentine ultimately joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami despite admitting his preference was to return to the Blaugrana.

Roque would be an excellent signing

The Brazilian is only 18 but has already created quite a buzz with his amazing talent.

Clubs like Arsenal and Juventus have been credited with an interest but it looks he will be heading to Barcelona.

The youngster mainly plays as a centre-forward but can also be deployed on the left or right wing. He is highly rated for his physicality, technique and defensive contribution.

Roque runs with the ball at an incredible pace and is a nightmare for the defenders, while his dribbling skills are also world-class.

He is currently contracted with Athletico-PR until 2027, and that’s why the club are demanding around €30-35m to let him leave.

Spending such a huge fee on a teenager who is yet to prove himself in Europe may seem like a risk, but Barca could miss out on him if they don’t act quickly.

This is because several other top clubs are also interested, and they would have no problem in paying that amount.