Manchester United have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Athletico Paranense striker Vitor Roque in the summer transfer window, as per Globo Esporte.
The 18-year-old is seen as one 0f the most highly-rated talents in South American football and his potential has caught the interest of several top European clubs.
Reports in Spain recently suggested that Arsenal are among the clubs to have expressed their interest with the North Londoners battling Barcelona and Chelsea to secure his signature.
However, the Gunners face further competition as Globo Esporte claims that Manchester United have joined the race to sign the talented youngster this summer.
The report claims that the player’s representatives have been visiting clubs in England to hold talks with Arsenal and Man Utd among those to have held preliminary discussions about a move.
Globo Esporte suggests that Roque will be available for a fee of around £36m, but Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham United have also shown their interest in luring the Brazilian to England.
Roque scored six goals in eight games during the Under-20 South American Championships and has recently made his debut for the Brazil national team.
Could Arsenal scupper the deal?
According to 90min, the Gunners are also interested in signing the prodigiously gifted talent. While he prefers a move to Barcelona, the Catalan giants can only sign him on loan due to their parlous financial situation.
Arsenal, on the other hand, can sign him permanently. Mikel Arteta’s side are well-stocked in their forward department but Roque would still be a quality addition. He can be a handy back-up option behind Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.
Man Utd do need to sign a new striker in the summer but they are expected to go after established names rather than paying a big fee on a relatively unknown talent.
Fabrizio Romano reported on March 29 that Roque – who is seen as a “future top player” – prefers to join Barcelona. However, a move to either Man Utd or Arsenal could be tempting for the youngster if there’s an offer on the table.
