Vitor Roque aiming for 'dream' Barcelona transfer as Brazilian wonderkid admits he's 'well prepared' for European move

Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque has backed himself to thrive in Europe, and has Barcelona in his sights as a possible future destination.

Admits Barca would be an ideal destination
Excited to play alongside Lewandowski
Barca made a bid in early February

WHAT HAPPENED? Roque has received interest from a number of European clubs, but Barca are said to be leading the race for the Brazilian. Dubbed as "the new Ronaldo", the wonderkid is expected to become one of the world's best. And in an interview with Spanish publication Sport, he asserted that Barcelona would be an ideal spot to develop.

WHAT THEY SAID: "If ending up going to Barca comes to fruition, it will be a great joy for my family and for me... for this reason, I have to continue working hard and hope that everything will come to fruition over time," he said.

The 18-year-old also expressed his excitement at potentially playing alongside Robert Lewandowski: "If I had a footballer by my side of this level, I would try to learn as much as I could. If this ends up happening, I'm sure it will be very important for my career. It would be something wonderful."

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Barca reportedly made a €25 million (£22m/$27m) bid for the young star two weeks ago, but Athletico Paranaense want a far higher fee for their prized asset. Any deal would be tricky to work out for the financially-hamstrung Blaugrana.

IN THREE PHOTOS: