West Ham interested in loan move for Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque
West Ham are interested in Athletico Paranaense’s Brazilian 17-year-old wonderkid forward Vitor Roque, and have offered to take him on loan with a purchase obligation, according to SBT Rio journalist Venê Casagrande.
The teenager branded one of the best talents in Brazil is reportedly a target for fellow Premier League clubs Chelsea and Newcastle United, according to Goal in Brazil.
Roque has been tipped to make a big move outside Brazil after a successful 2022 Brazilian Serie A campaign, breaking into the first team to score five goals and register two assists in 29 matches.
Clubs are already circling around for his services. His tender age and his long-term contract are huge prospects for interested parties, and he could well be on the move in the near future.
And according to Casagrande, the Hammers are willing to add him to their ranks temporarily with a move to making it permanent.
Taking to his personal Twitter account [20 January] to report the news, he tweeted: “West Ham are interested in Athletico’s Vitor Roque, who is currently playing in the South American Under-20 Championship in Colombia. The English team wants the attacker on loan and with a purchase obligation. Values come close to €20 million (£17.6m) between fixed and variable payments.”
He also went on to add: “Athletico would also keep a percentage of the future sale of striker Vitor Roque, as they did with Betis, from Spain, in the sale of left-back Abner. Conversations in progress.”
Future
It’s great to see the Hammers looking to build for the future with this move, and scouting Brazilian talents in South America are certainly the way to go.
We’ve already seen the emergence of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Richarlison, and even Bruno Guimaraes blossom into world stars following moves from Brazil over the past decade, and it’s time the East London outfit get it on the act too.
Roque only joined his current club last April, and the fact that European clubs are already circling for his signature after just eight months shows how much of a splurge he’s currently making in Brazil.
The Hammers already possess one of the country’s emerging lights in Lucas Paqueta so why not add another Brazilian talent to their ranks with Roque who could morph into a potential world star. It would indeed represent a smart piece of recruitment if they were to get it doen.