Manchester United have been linked with a shock loan move for Barcelona striker, Vitor Roque.
Goal scoring has been a very big problem this season for United as only Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund, and Scott McTominay have reached double figures.
Erik ten Hag’s side are also the joint lowest scorers in the top half of the Premier League, with 52 goals scored.
Hojlund has admirably carried the weight of the goal-scoring burden on his young shoulders but naturally he has been inconsistent as he adapts to his first season in English football.
Therefore, the club is in search of reinforcements in the striking department this summer.
Names such as Benjamin Sesko, Ivan Toney, and Joshua Zirkzee have all been linked to a move to Old Trafford but a new name has emerged through Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo.
The paper reports that “the possibility of a loan” for Barcelona’s young striker Vitor Roque, “arouses the interest of Manchester United, Napoli, Lyon, and Nice, who have contacted his agent, and join Sevilla and Betis” as interested parties.
The 19-year-old arrived at Barça in January but has barely had a chance to play significant minutes.
He has played 13 games, scoring two league goals in 310 minutes of action for the Camp Nou side.
Crucially, only two of these matches have been starts in away games to Celta Vigo and Cadiz.
Mundo Deportivo suggests that the player could be available for loan due to the fact that the “club is considering a loan for next season if they cannot register him due to lack of fair play. That is why, as a result of this information and the words of Xavi Hernández, who last Saturday did not rule out the option of the forward getting the minutes he needs outside of Barça to adapt to European football, several clubs have shown interest in him.”
The paper downplays the youngster’s interest in a move, mentioning, “it is not expected that there will be an immediate move with Vitor Roque, who has no intention of leaving Barça when not even half a year has passed since he arrived and he continues to believe in his chances of success at Barcelona.”
While it is an intriguing story and the player is a promising talent compared to Sergio Agüero and Luis Suárez in playing style, it would be surprising if United were interested in a loan deal.
The main objective of bringing in a striker is to provide reliable backup for their own starlet, Rasmus Hojlund. Even with 14 goals in all competitions and almost a full season under his belt, the Dane seems more prepared for the rigors of top-flight European football than Roque.
United may opt for an older striker, but it is more likely to be a permanent signing with sufficient experience to be trusted to hit the ground running and provide valuable support for Hojlund.
