Manchester United have been linked with a move for teenage sensation Vitor Roque but will face stiff competition from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal if they are to seal a deal.
This is reported by the paper, who note that as the player turns 18 in February, he will be able to move to Europe in the summer.
The 17-year-old Brazilian currently plays for Atletico Paranaense, for whom he became the club’s record signing for a fee of around £3.7m.
Atletico activated a release clause last April to take him away from Cruzeiro, but it now looks like he will soon make a huge profit from that deal.
Rock is now a regular at his club and has already scored fourteen goals and provided five assists at senior level despite his tender age.
Two of them came to the prestigious Copa Libertadores, including a great hit on his debut:
Let’s go 🌪️ #atletico
— Everton_luizz 🌪️🔴⚫ Até 7 (@Evertonl18) June 29, 2022
His clever moves, speed and dribbling have earned him comparisons with Ronaldo, who he also once played for Cruzeiro.
Transfermarkt values Roque at around €11 million, but given the level of interest, he is likely to offer more.
And especially considering that Atlético Paranese have just seen Real Madrid spend €60m to buy Endric from Palmeiras, his club could expect several times that €11m. Roque also has a €60 million buyout clause, although it is currently unclear whether his club will accept a lower amount.
Level fees Endrik they are likely to slow down Manchester United’s pursuit, whose record spending on the teenager is the €60m spent on Anthony Martial. This was in 2015 and included several add-ons, many of which are still not implemented.
The South American market is also one in which United have yet to invest heavily: United’s record signing from a South American club was the €8.6m spent on Kleberson in 2003 – from Atlético Paranese, as it turned out.
But a change in policy could be on the horizon if new investment or a full takeover changes United’s finances and brings new ideas.
And Eric ten Haag previously showed admiration for the “greenness” of South American players, signing Lisandro Martinez and Anthony for big sums during their first transfer window.
Several new signings have been invited to Ajax directly from South American clubs, and while this has always been the club’s policy in Amsterdam, it is entirely possible that Ten Haag will want to enforce it at United.
Will this policy start with Vitor Roque remains to be seen.
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