Arsenal plotting summer swoop for £35m teen with “crazy potential” – Report

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta enjoyed arguably his finest transfer window at the club last summer, managing to lure top-class talents such as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to the Emirates and it certainly looks like he and Edu Gaspar have done an excellent job with the pair.

The duo took the club to the next level as the Gunners sparkled in the Premier League before the enforced World Cup hiatus, leading the table before Christmas.

The Brazilian in particular was in top form, scoring five times while registering six assists, however, a knee injury sustained in Qatar means he hasn’t made an appearance for the north Londoners since November.

There’s no doubt his move has been a success, and Arsenal have now been linked with Atletico Paranaense’s teenage dynamo Vitor Roque, with Mundo Deportivo (via TEAMtalk) claiming that the Brazilian side could demand between €35m-€40m ((£31m to £35m) for his services, with Barcelona also interested in the player.

The 18-year-old could follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who moved from Palmeiras to Manchester City in 2017, initially signing in the summer of 2016 but didn’t join up with City until January 2017.

He emerged as one of the finest Brazilian forwards of his generation during his spell at City, eventually ending up with 95 goals and 46 assists, while winning four Premier League titles with the club along with a handful of other domestic silverware.

Yet the signing of Erling Haaland last summer meant his game time would have been reduced and he moved to Arsenal, becoming an integral squad member.

Roque has already netted 15 goals in 59 appearances during spells with both Cruzeiro and Athletico Paranaense, and he has just turned 18 in February.

Like Jesus, Roque can also operate anywhere across the front three, although he is mainly deployed either in a central role or on the right wing.

Indeed, this season, the two forwards have registered similar statistics with regard to goals (both five), shots per game (3.69 to 2.73), goal-creating actions (nine to seven), crosses (seven to six) and successful take-ons (27 to 15).

According to WhoScored, Jesus and Roque both have defensive contribution as one of their key strengths, which is the sort of work rate that’ll please Arteta, while in terms of playing style, the duo both like to dribble and they both show eagerness as they often commit fouls.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig described the player as having “crazy potential” last year and with his current progress and ability, Arteta would regret not making a move for the forward, especially with the impact that Jesus has had at the club since joining.