Manchester United appear to be interested in signing Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque this summer.
Are Man United signing a striker?
The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have made a start on their summer business by securing a £60m move for Mason Mount from Chelsea.
The midfielder signed a five-year deal at Old Trafford and will wear the number seven shirt in Manchester, with attention now turning to a new goalkeeper and striker.
Ten Hag reportedly has a £120m transfer kitty before player sales, and with half of that spent on Mount, departures may be needed over the coming weeks.
Andre Onana from Inter Milan appears to be the top target in goal following David de Gea’s departure, with the Serie A side asking for £45m. Brighton's Robert Sanchez, Feyenoord's Justin Bijlow and Eintracht Frankfurt's Kevin Trapp are also options, and there are a number of targets in attack.
A big £50m offer is reportedly ready to sign Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund, with Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani another target in the final third.
It looks as if Roque is also on the radar, though, with Anthony Martial up for sale at Old Trafford and Wout Weghorst’s loan spell coming to an end.
Sport Witness relayed an update from Mundo Deportivo regarding Roque in the last 48 hours. Barcelona previously agreed to a €50m deal to sign the forward – €30m plus €20m in bonuses – however, relative documents are yet to be signed to seal a transfer.
As a result, it is believed that Man United, alongside Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, are willing to finalise a deal for the striker and ‘do not stop calling’ over a potential move in a transfer twist.
Athletico Paranaense are starting to lose patience with Barcelona, and we could see further developments in the coming days on Roque, with the Red Devils, Spurs and PSG all willing to triple the forward’s salary.
Who is Vitor Roque?
Roque is 18 years of age and made the move to Athletico Paranaense from Cruzeiro last year in a deal worth €4.7m. Since then, his Transfermarkt valuation has rocketed to a career-high €18m and the forward has scored 22 goals in 66 games for his current employers.
Football Scout Jacek Kulig has heaped praise on the youngster, hailing him as a "top talent" due to his fantastic goal return last season, while he has also described him as "unstoppable."
Ten Hag’s central attacking options are short at this moment in time, and he could actually have no centre-forward to choose from if Martial moves on. Therefore, bringing in someone like Roque alongside an older forward such as Hojlund or Kolo Muani could be a wise move.
However, Barcelona seemingly have a €50m agreement in place for the teenager, and with United already halfway through their budget, they could see a move as too costly at this moment in time. That could change should they bring in up to £100m in sales with 13 players possibly on the move, so it could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.