Chelsea reportedly fear being priced out of a move for Athletico Paranaense sensation Vitor Roque.
The 18-year-old is wanted by several leading clubs across Europe after bursting onto the scene in his homeland, scoring 12 goals and setting up five more in 47 senior appearances.
Roque's playmaking qualities were on display during the recent knockout rounds of the Campeonato Paranaense, providing four assists in five games as Paranaense beat FC Cascavel in the two-legged final.
The 2005-born attacker's efforts were also telling in the recent Under-20 South American Championships, as he came up with six goals and one assist en route to winning the trophy with Brazil.
Roque's six strikes saw him take home a share of the Golden Boot with Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, and he has been tipped to join his fellow teenager at Stamford Bridge.
However, with a host of other top sides also vying for his signature, Football Insider claims that Chelsea are unlikely to win the race to bring Roque to the Premier League.
Chelsea supposedly tabled a bid for Roque in the January window, but it was swiftly rejected by Paranaense, who have the teenager under contract until the summer of 2027.
The Brazilian giants could therefore demand at least £35m and up to £40m to part ways with Roque, which could force Chelsea to concede defeat in their pursuit of the 18-year-old.
The Blues are not thought to have completely given up hope of signing Roque, but having reported a £121m loss in their accounts for 2021-22, they must sell several players before they can buy.
As a result, other interested parties such as Arsenal and Barcelona could steal in while Chelsea focus on outgoings, although the Blues are holding out hope that their positive South American relations can boost their attempts to sign the Paranaense man.
Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Roque, but the one-cap Brazil international is said to favour a move to Barcelona.
As well as welcoming Santos for the club before loaning him straight back to Vasco da Gama, Chelsea are also thought to have agreed a £20m move for Ecuador sensation Kendry Paez.
However, the Independiente del Valle midfielder will not be able to join the club until he turns 18 in 2025, but the Blues are already believed to have wrapped up a couple of summer deals early.
RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku is apparently poised to move to Stamford Bridge for the 2023-24 season, having agreed a long-term contract and passed a medical several months ago.
Chelsea are also believed to have beaten PSG and AC Milan to the signature of Benfica's Diego Moreira, who will leave the Portuguese club on a free transfer this summer. body check tags ::
