Newcastle United reportedly want to sign Vitor Roque, and it turns out that he is a fan of current Toon superstar Bruno Guimaraes.
Roque currently plays for Athletico Paranaense, which is where Bruno got his big break in Brazil. Now he is with Newcastle and trying to guide the club into the Champions League.
That is a competition that Roque dreams of playing in, with Europe’s biggest teams eyeing up his signature. The 18-year-old forward is a man in demand, and has even been compared to Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
That is why Newcastle want to sign him, and it has been claimed that the Magpies have already contacted Roque’s club about possibly signing the teenager. He is also attracting interest from Chelsea, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Magpies will do very well to sign him ahead of that elite group of clubs, but Dan Ashworth might feel like he has an ace up his sleeve given Roque’s latest comments.
Vitor Roque is a big fan of Bruno Guimaraes
Roque has spoken to AS, and was asked to give his thoughts on Bruno given that he previously represented the club that the youngster plays for currently.
“I don’t talk much with him, but he did encourage me in a game,” he said.
“Bruno Guimarães is a player who has made a fantastic story in Paranaense, for me it is a motivation to want to achieve the path that he has set.”
Hopefully Bruno can tempt him to Newcastle
Roque is currently with the Brazil national team, which would normally give him the chance to play alongside Bruno. However, the 25-year-old has not been included in the most recent squad. He will instead be with Newcastle for a training camp in Dubai.
That is a shame, as it would have allowed Bruno to have a word with Roque about possibly moving to St James’ Park. It has previously been claimed that Newcastle hope Bruno can help them tap into the South American market.
That has not happened yet, with targets such as Andrey Santos going elsewhere. That was a real blow in January, as he already looks like the real deal.
Roque will be another difficult player to obtain, given the calibre of clubs that want to sign him. Whether or not Bruno can help us out remains to be seen.