Arsenal have sent scouts to watch Athletico Paranaense youngster Vitor Roque but will face hefty competition to secure his signature.
Despite being just 17 years old, Roque is already a regular for his club side and has also been capped multiple times for his country at youth level.
As clubs look to avoid missing out on another talent to come out of South America, many scouts have been keeping their eye on Roque.
Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed to CaughtOffside via his Substack column that Arsenal and Barcelona are two of the clubs to show an interest.
“Arsenal have sent their scouts to follow Vitor Roque, but it’s the same for five top European clubs. Barcelona want him. He’s on their list and really appreciated but Athletico Paranaense hope for €60m package to sell Roque. So, it’s not easy.”
It’s always a risk signing young players from South America and hoping they adapt to life in Europe, but you can often find some gems. However, many Brazilian clubs won’t allow their young talent to leave easily and often demand excessive fees despite a lack of game time.
Endrick signed for Real Madrid at the age of 16 for an extortionate fee and this could be the benchmark that Brazilian clubs look for when selling their own players from now on.