"Only Barca" - 19-year-old star claims he would have only joined Barcelona even if another club gave him all the money in the world
Vitor Roque recently claimed that Barcelona were the only club he wanted to join even if any other potential suitor was offering him a more lucrative deal.
Roque will join the Blaugrana in the summer after the La Liga giants agreed on a €40 million deal with Brazilian outfit Athletico Paranaense. He's viewed as one of Selecao's future stars as he's been putting in scintillating performances in his homeland.
Roque has bagged 27 goals and 11 assists in 78 appearances for Furacão. He has even earned one international cap for Brazil after scoring six goals in 11 games for the U19s.
The soon-to-be Barcelona forward has insisted that the Catalan giants were his dream move. He was asked by Mundo Deportivo whether he would consider moving elsewhere if offered all the money in the world and a stadium in his name.
"Yes, yes, only Barca," Vitor Roque replied.
Barca director Deco also praised Roque ahead of his arrival at Camp Nou next year. The Portuguese reckons the Brazilian wonderkid has the right mentality to flourish with Xavi's La Liga champions. He said (via OneFootball):
"A player who plays for Barcelona, regardless of his technical quality, must be brave, possess a strong personality, and not be affected by pressure. Vitor has that, he has a strong personality to face a challenge like playing for Barcelona at this age."
Reports claim that Vitor Roque is set to be handed Lionel Messi's iconic No.10 jersey once he's confirmed as a Blaugrana player. It's a hefty burden but one that he evidently has the right characteristics for.
Roque's arrival could see him vying with Robert Lewandowski, 35, for a starting berth in Xavi's side. He'll be able to learn from the prolific Polish superstar once he does arrive in Catalonia.
Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong is reportedly eyeing an early return from injury
Frenkie de Jong has been sidelined with a sprained ankle, missing Barca's last four games across competitions. The Dutch midfielder started the season brightly with one goal in seven games across competitions.
The 26-year-old has also missed the Netherlands' recent Euro 2024 qualifiers, with Ronald Koeman's side yet to secure qualification. The initial prognosis of De Jong's injury was that he would be out of action, missing the El Clasico clash with Real Madrid on October 28.
However, the aforementioned source reports that Barcelona are hopeful De Jong will be fit to face Madrid. The Blaugrana currently trail their table-topping arch-rivals by three points in third in La Liga.