Sporting Lisbon have reportedly emerged as the frontrunners to sign Barcelona forward Vitor Roque on a permanent deal.

Last July, the Catalan giants agreed a deal with Athletico Paranaense which saw the prospect make the £25.6m switch to Camp Nou.

On the back of his 28 goals and 11 assists from 81 appearances for the Brazilian outfit, the hope was that Roque would provide competition for Robert Lewandowski.

Instead, 19-year-old was limited to just 319 minutes in La Liga, scoring two goals from his 14 appearances which were largely from the substitutes' bench.

Roque's representatives publicly stated earlier this year that they were eager to find a resolution which would mean more game time for their player.

That was under the watch of Xavi, yet Roque was not selected in the squad for the final pre-season friendly against Monaco nor the La Liga opener against Valencia.

Move to Sporting looking likely

A report over the weekend claimed that Premier League outfit Everton were best placed out of several European sides to secure the signature of the Brazil international.

However, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, talks have been held regarding a surprise switch to Portuguese giants Sporting.

Romano says that the Primeira Liga title holders are prepared to commit to a package of at least €30m (£25.55m) to win the race for Roque.

Domestic rivals Porto had also been credited with an interest as they bid to replace Evanilson, who has joined Bournemouth, yet it is suggested that they are not in negotiations with Barcelona officials.

A good deal for all concerned

The most obvious beneficiaries will be Barcelona, who are effectively getting their money back on one level and making a profit from an amortisation perspective on another.

That will provide Hansi Flick and club officials with leeway to add another forward to their ranks, aware that veteran Lewandowski will need to be rotated.

Roque has not enhanced his reputation while at Barcelona, yet Sporting will feel they are acquiring a potential star of the future if they can get a deal over the line.

Despite there being plenty of competition for places at Estadio Jose Alvalade, Roque can expect to receive regular game under Ruben Amorim as Sporting manage a schedule that features Champions League football. body check tags ::