The mega £42m Everton striker bid that could be their biggest transfer risk yet
Everton have been linked with a transfer bid for a Brazilian wonderkid with a mixed record - so just how big of a risk would a potentially record-breaking deal be?
If there’s one thing Everton desperately need when the January transfer window re-opens, it’s a striker. The last-minute collapse of a proposed deadline-day deal for Folarin Balogun left them both short-staffed and low on quality in a key position – and if the Toffees only make one signing this winter, it’s likely to be a number nine.
Exactly who they might target has been something of a mystery, but now a fresh report from the Brazilian press suggests that Everton are eyeing up an ambitious move for Vitor Roque, a wonderkid with an impressive goalscoring record who has already spent time on Barcelona’s books. But is it optimistic to believe that the Toffees could land such a hugely exciting player this winter – and could a deal represent too great of a risk?
Everton targeting wonderkid Vitor Roque – reports
Back in 2023, the teenage Vitor Roque was earmarked as one of the most promising strikers in the world. Fresh from scoring 21 goals in 60 games for Athletico Paranaense, Barcelona spent an estimated €40m (£35m at the time) to bring him to the Camp Nou. That transfer turned out to be a minor disaster – but he has spent the last two years rebuilding his reputation back in Brazil.
Sold to Palmeiras after making just 16 appearances for Barcelona, Vitor Roque doesn’t seem to have let a frustrating first foray into European football get him down. He scored 20 goals in his first season back in Brazil in 2025, and scouts started going to watch him once more.
Now, according to Brazilian reporter Diego Firmino – whose story has since been backed up by Spanish outlet Sport - Everton could be the one to make the first move. They suggest that David Moyes’ side are lining up a bid, with Palmeiras believed to value the player at €50m (£42m). No formal approach has been made, according to Sport, but it’s suggested that the pieces are starting to fall into place.
With the Brazilian off-season occurring over the winter, a January bid wouldn’t represent a timing issue, but other teams might present a problem. Sport mention that Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been keeping tabs on Vitor Roque, although it’s not directly suggested that their interest is expected to lead to a bid. Either way, Everton could find themselves outgunned if a bidding war does develop.
The two biggest questions, however, are whether the player himself would consider a move to Everton when there is still a prospect of a switch to a more successful side, and whether Everton’s owners would be willing to front the money for a deal which could come close to the club’s transfer record.
The current owners, The Friedkin Group, have announced that they are exploring the sale of Everton just two years after they took control, and that decision could theoretically limit their willingness to bankroll transfers in January. That remains unproven, but their decision did serve to belatedly explain a surprising lack of ambition in the summer transfer market.
It’s also worth nothing that Palmeiras are not a team that can be bullied in the transfer market. After striking major deals to sell a string of young prospects such as Endrick, Vitor Reis and Estevão Willian, they are in a far better financial position than most South American sides. With Vitor Roque under contract until 2029, they have a very strong negotiating position and aren’t likely to budge on an asking price.
In short, this may be an optimistic report and it’s a story 3 Added Minutes has been unable to verify, albeit one backed up by some reasonably credible sources. It would certainly be a bold way for Everton to try to solve their issues up front – and it could also represent a significant risk.
Why a deal for Vitor Roque would be very risky for Everton
In Brazil, Vitor Roque has been hugely impressive. In Spain, however, he struggled. It’s reasonable to ask whether it would be any different the second time around.
The striker has a couple more years’ worth of experience under his belt, but there were a number of stories which suggested that he failed to acclimate to life in a new country and that there was friction between the player and his head coach at the time, Xavi Hernández, primarily due to the minimal playing time he was offered. He didn’t fare much better on loan at Real Betis in the 2024/25 season, either, and left Spain with the grand total of nine goals in 49 appearances.
A return of 20 goals and five assists in the 2025 season for Palmeiras raised hopes that he had rediscovered his best form, but he’s slowed down in 2026, scoring just nine goals in 39 matches across all competitions – a statistic which admittedly owes a lot to a serious ankle injury which sidelined him for nearly five months. His prior injury record doesn’t offer too much cause for concern, but that issue adds another red flag to the collection.
One thing which might make Everton a better fit for Vitor Roque than Barcelona, however, is his playing style. A fast, physical forward who suits teams that play direct football, his relative lack of technical quality and indifferent link-up play made him an awkward fit at the Camp Nou. Merseyside might be a little different, given Moyes’ tactics.
The talent is undeniable, his physical quality is beyond question, and at 21 he still has plenty of time to develop and to sand down his rougher edges. But he is also a player coming off an injury-interrupted season, who found it difficult to adjust to life in another country, and who hasn’t been on his best form in recent months.
At a price tag of around €50m, then, buying Vitor Roque would be a very big risk indeed. But given that Everton only have one striker – who also happens to be among the least efficient finishers in the Premier League – it may be a high-risk, high-reward chance worth taking. Whether or not they do so remains to be seen.