Father of Arsenal transfer target 'spotted' in London as Edu talks revealed

Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target Vitor Roque’s father has been spotted in London.

The Gunners are currently at the Premier League summit, some eight points clear of nearest challengers Manchester City, albeit having played a game more.

While Mikel Arteta’s side are just ten games from winning their first title since 2004, the club’s recruitment team are already planning for next season.

Spanish publication Sport claimed earlier this week that Arsenal and Chelsea are in the race for Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque.

The 18-year-old, who plays for Athletico Paranaense, has been linked with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona in recent weeks, with the latter said to be his preferred destination.

However, Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly attractive destinations due to their presence in London and commitment to developing young players.

Roque’s father in London

Amid links to the Premier League, Roque’s father Juvenal Ferreira was spotted in London last weekend.

Ferreira posted a picture in the English capital on Instagram that was captioned: “I Love Londres”

Indeed, Sport claimed on Wednesday that Arsenal ‘aspire” to sign Roque this summer, and are his “strongest” suitors.

The publication added that Arsenal's sporting director Edu Gaspar has been in contact with the forward’s camp for months and is offering the player a “tailor-made” sporting project.

An Arsenal transfer would also offer Roque the opportunity to link up with the Gunners’ Brazilian contingent, including Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli.

Roque’s impact in Brazil’s domestic league saw interim head coach Ramon Menezes call him up to the national side for the March internationals.

Indeed, the teenager came on as a second-half substitute during Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Morocco at the Ibn Batouta Stadium last weekend.