Barcelona has officially announced the signing of Brazilian talent Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense.

The young forward, who made his senior national team debut in March, had attracted interest from top clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich. However, Roque had always set his sights on joining Barcelona, and a fee of €40m was swiftly agreed upon.

Barcelona confirmed the signing, stating that Roque is expected to join the club for the 2024/25 season. He will sign a contract until the 2030/31 season, including a buyout clause of €500 million. The 19-year-old, nicknamed 'Tigrinho', follows in the footsteps of other Brazilian stars like Neymar, who made a direct move to Barcelona from a Brazilian team.

Barcelona's sporting director Deco expressed his satisfaction with the signing, stating that Roque is a talented player.

Roque's debut for the Brazilian national team made him the youngest-ever player to represent the country, surpassing the previous record held by Ronaldo. He recently emerged as the top scorer in the 2023 South American U-20 Championship, helping Brazil secure the title with six goals.

For the upcoming season, Roque will continue playing in the Brazilian Serie A before officially joining Barcelona in 2024/25. At that time, he may find himself competing with veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, as the Poland international will still have two years remaining on his contract by the end of the next season.