Who is Vitor Roque - Brazil's next starboy?

The young striker has the potential to be on of the top striker in world football

Rise into a bright prospect

Before joining Cruzeiro, Vitor Roque made a name for himself at America Mineiro. There, he made an immediate impact, scoring six goals in 16 appearances and earning Atletico PR's €4.7 million purchase price. Roque turned 18 at the end of February and has already made 52 senior appearances, of which he has directly assisted on 19 goals.

In 36 games with Atletico PR, he boasts 7 goals and 3 assists, however, around half of those came from the bench. Roque, while being somewhat short, has a solid build and demonstrates good strength; as a result, he has adopted the moniker Tigrinho or tiny tiger.

The playing style of Vitor Roque

At this stage of his career, he fits the mould of the classic Brazilian forward. When he has the ball in his feet, Roque is able to beat defenders on his own, but he also works well with his teammates to break through defences. He is not only strong but also swift.

Roque is a versatile player who can play as a second striker or throughout the front three, but thus far in his career, he has been utilised mostly through the middle. Without exception, he usually starts off to the right, yet the majority of his goals have come from the middle. He also performs admirably defensively compared to other players in his position, ranking in the top 3% for interceptions.

Though Roque is a flashy player with the ability to anticipate the defender's moves, he also distinguishes out by his natural sense for scoring goals. Roque is surprisingly proficient at converting crosses because he feels at ease utilising both feet to put the ball away. Despite not being a particularly easy target to hit, Roque frequently responds before the defenders. At the moment, he leads all scorers in the under-20 South American Championships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOhjB40FExQ

Why Barcelona are interested in signing him?

With Real Madrid's deal to recruit Endrick Felipe, who many believe to be the next great thing to come out of Brazil, Barcelona are scrambling to gain a foothold in the Brazilian market. Vitor Roque is the most recent star to which they have been linked.

According to Relevo, Deco and a member of Barcelona's recruitment team met to discuss the 17-year-old, who presently plays for Atletico Paranaense. They'll work to achieve an agreement for Roque that costs areound €25 million, though how they arrive at that sum may be creative.

It is acknowledged that three equal payments of closer to €30 are more likely to occur. Roque is eager to transfer, and Atletico are both open to a sale.