Barcelona recently got a deal done for one of Brazilian football’s biggest talents in Vitor Roque. At 18 years of age, he has been a standout performer for Club Athletico Paranaense already and an agreement has been reached for him to join the Catalan giants next summer. It is not clear how much the Spanish giants have shelled out, but the figure appears to be in the €60 million to €70 million range including add-ons. And he is already being compared to a Real Madrid signing.
Real Madrid pulled off a similar move not too long ago. They agreed a €60 million, including add-ons, deal for 16-year-old Palmeiras wonderkid Endrick.
Endrick will be arriving in Spain in the summer of 2024 as well. And there is bound to be a competition between the two Brazilian talents set to represent the two El Clasico rivals.
Who is better between the two though? As reported by SPORT, Roque’s agent, Andre Cury, said:
"“If you ask me who has made a better contract, Barça or Madrid, it is very clear. I have already said it in other interviews and I will repeat it again. In my opinion, Vitor is above Endrick.”"
Agent claims Vitor Roque is better than €60m Real Madrid signing
Roque has certainly been making an impression in recent times while playing for Athletico Paranaense. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has scored 7 goals and provided 2 assists in 13 appearances and 926 minutes of football in the Brazilian Serie A this season till now.
On the other hand, Endrick did face a tough phase recently, where he went several games without scoring a goal and was dropped to the bench. He has rediscovered his form since then though and is finding the back of the net on a consistent basis once again.
At this stage, Roque might be a bit ahead of Endrick. It is important to remember that the new Barcelona signing is almost a year-and-a-half older as well. Naturally, he has played a lot more senior level football and even represented the Brazilian national team. It is way too early in both of their careers to judge their abilities though.