Vitor Roque confirms feelings towards Barcelona transfer
By Tom Gott
Athletico Paranaense starlet Vitor Roque has admitted he wants to join Barcelona and play alongside Robert Lewandowski.
The striker, who celebrated his 18th birthday on 28 February, is on the radars of a number of Europe's top sides but 90min understands that it is Barcelona who are leading the race for his signature.
Barcelona's significant interest will come as good news to Roque, who told SPORT of his confidence that he could shine at Camp Nou immediately.
"That's what I'm working for," he said. "The competitions I played in last year, the Libertadores and the Brasileirao, will help me be well-prepared when I go to Europe. I'm happy I'm 18 because now I can play abroad.
"[Barcelona's interest] is a great motivation. It is very important and I see it as a reason to want to aspire to more, to want to work more, which is what I do.
"[Moving to Barcelona] is not only a dream of mine but also of any player that appears. If ending up going to Barça comes to fruition, it will be a great joy for my family and for me... for this reason, I have to continue working hard and hope that everything will come to fruition over time."
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Roque later namedropped Lewandowski as a player alongside whom he would love to play and learn.
"When I see him on TV I always notice his great finishing ability, which I think is his strong point," the teenager explained. "He is spectacular, I already followed him at Bayern Munich and now at Barcelona.
"If I had a footballer by my side of this level, I would try to learn as much as I could. If this ends up happening, I'm sure it will be very important for my career. It would be something wonderful."