Manchester United have been linked with a move for teenage sensation Vitor Roque, but will face stiff competition from the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal if they want to make a deal.
This is reported by the newspaper, which notes that since 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 holder at a price of about 3.7 million pounds.
Atletico activated a release clause last April to take him away from Cruzeiro, but now it looks like he will soon make a huge profit from this deal.
Rock is already a regular player of his club and has already scored fourteen goals and given five assists at the adult level, despite his tender age.
Two of them came at the prestigious Copa Libertadores, including a great shot in his debut:
Vamos 🌪️ #athletico
— Everton_luizz 🌪️🔴⚫ Até 7 (@Evertonl18) June 29, 2022
His clever movements, speed and dribbling earned him comparisons with Ronaldo, who also once played for Cruzeiro.
Transfermarkt estimates the value of the Roque at about 11 million euros, however, given the level of interest, it is likely to offer more.
And especially considering that Atletico Paranese has just seen Real Madrid spend 60 million euros to buy out Endric from Palmeiras, his club can expect several times more than 11 million euros. Roque also has a 60 million euro buyout clause, although it is unclear whether his club will accept a smaller amount at the moment.
Fees at the level of Endrik are likely to slow down any pursuit by Manchester United, whose record spending on the teenager is 60 million euros spent on Anthony Martial. This was back in 2015 and included several add-ons, many of which have yet to be implemented.
The South American market is also one that United has not yet invested heavily in: United’s record signing from a South American club was worth 8.6 million euros spent on Kleberson in 2003 — as it turned out, from Atletico Paranese.
But a change in policy may well be on the horizon if new investments or a full takeover change United’s financial position and bring new ideas.
And Erik ten Hag has previously shown admiration for the “greenness” of South American players, attracting Lisandro Martinez and Anthony for large fees during his first transfer window.
Several new recruits were invited to Ajax directly from South American clubs, and although this has always been the policy of the club in Amsterdam, it is quite possible that Ten Hag wants to instill it in United.
Whether this policy will start with Vitor Roque remains to be seen.
