Barcelona begin negotiations to bring in young forward starring with Brazil 

After Real Madrid sealed a deal for the arrival of Endrick Felipe from Palmeiras in 2024, Barcelona are pursuing a deal for another Brazilian wonderkid.

According to Sport, the Blaugrana have begun negotiations with Atletico Paranaense starlet Vitor Roque. The 17-year-old is seen as the long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski by the Blaugrana and would likely arrive either this summer or next. He was named young player of the tournament in the Copa Libertadores last year, while he is currently playing a starring role for Brazil’s under-20 side in the South American championships.

Seemingly the club feel he can grow into a similar profile as Luis Suarez in the long-term, due to his stout but strong physique, mentality and competitive attitude. While he preferes to operate as a nine through the middle, he can play across the front three.

Barcelona have made contact with Atletico PR Sporting Director Luiz Felipe Scolari and CEO Alexandre Mattos in order to begin talks. Crucial is the relationship with intermediary Andre Cury, who will facilitate discussions.

The Catalan side are hoping to create a good relationship with their Brazilian counterparts and want to negotiate a deal that suits all parties. In Barcelona’s case, that means something that fits into their salary limit issues.

How exactly they find a formula to do so remains to be seen. The Blaugrana have several areas they could do with addressing, and arguably right-back and central midfield are more pressing, but it appears Roque is a priority.