Barcelona will face bidding war as they look to sign Brazilian attacker this summer: Reports

Barcelona are reportedly set to face fierce competition from other European giants for Athletico Paranaense wonderkid Vitor Roque.

Roque, 17, has been touted as the next Brazilian teenage sensation due to his rise in stature at both club and country level. Since joining Athletico from Cruzeiro for a club record €4.7 million last year, he has registered seven goals and three assists in 1762 minutes of action. He has made just 36 appearances for his club across all competitions so far.

A left-footed center-forward blessed with pace and flair, Roque recently turned a lot of heads at the South American U20 Championship in Colombia. He scored six goals and laid out an assist in eight tournament games, helping his national team lift the much-coveted trophy.

According to Diario AS, Barcelona are willing to enter a bidding war for Roque in the upcoming summer transfer window. However, Athletico are unsure about the attacker's price tag with several high-profile clubs, including Arsenal, interested in snapping him up.

Earlier last year, Barcelona were in the race for Palmeiras star Endrick before Real Madrid secured the teenage forward's signature in a deal worth up to a staggering €72 million. As a result, the Catalan giants have shifted their focus to Roque, who is being considered as a long-term replacement for the aging superstar Robert Lewandowski.

However, the Blaugrana could fail to lure Roque away from Athletico due to their ongoing financial problems. To balance their books for the 2023-24 season, they have recently been speculated to offload the likes of Ferran Torres, Raphinha, and Ansu Fati for steep prices.

According to Transfermarkt, Roque is valued at €11 million.

Barcelona closely following Chelsea target as Xavi's side plot summer move: Reports

According to SPORT, Barcelona are monitoring Borussia Monchengladbach star Marcus Thuram's situation, as the attacker is in the final four months of his current contract. However, the La Liga leaders are likely to face competition from Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, and Sevilla.

Thuram, 25, has been a crucial first-team starter for Die Fohlen since arriving from EA Guingamp for €12 million in the summer of 2019. Operating primarily as a center-forward or as a left inside-forward, he has scored 41 goals and laid out 26 assists in 123 games for his club.

Earlier last year, he contributed two assists in 152 minutes of first-team action for runners-up France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.