Brazilian Talent Vitor Roque to Become Barcelona's New Number 10?
Barcelona and Nike could have agreed on who will be the next player to get Barcelona's iconic No.10 jersey. According to Catalan outlet El Nacional, Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque is likely to take on the number, with Nike already on board with the change.
In 2019, 14-year-old Roque posted with a Lionel Messi shirt. Vitor Roque is sponsored by Nike and wears the brand's Phantom GX 2 football shoes.
Barcelona and Nike Agree on Vitor Roque as Successor of Lionel Messi's No. 10 jersey
Vitor Roque is currently wearing the No. 9 shirt for Club Athletico Paranaense, which is occupied by Lewandowski.
Vitor Roque x No. 10 is not confirmed yet
It is important to note that Vitor Roque x No. 10 is not confirmed yet. El Nacional just say that Barcelona president "Laporta intends to give the '10' to Vítor Roque". The other options would be for him to stay with the '16', the '12', the '19', or '24'.
Roque, an 18-year-old talent, is set to join Barcelona in January from the Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense. His transfer fee is reported to be around €30m, and he is touted as Messi's successor by the Catalan media.
His number is not confirmed yet
The news comes amid rumors of pressure from Nike on Barca to sell Fati and give the number to 16-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal. However, Roque's impressive career trajectory, including making his professional debut at just 16 years old with Cruzeiro, has earned him the coveted spot. He also finished as the top scorer in the South American U20 tournament, netting six goals earlier this year.
Do you think Roque will anyhow fill Messi's footsteps? Let us know in the comments below.
