Arsenal are targeting a highly-rated Brazilian teenager in a bid to make the Barcelona youngster the club's first signing of the summer.

The Gunners have been handed the opportunity to make a move for Barcelona attacker Vitor Roque after the forward’s representative criticised former boss Xavi’s treatment of the Brazilian starlet. 

The deal follows a raft of Brazi stars putting pen to paper for Arsenal under sporting director, Edu.

Edu is leading the charge from the Premier League after a number of leading clubs have been monitoring the situation including Spurs and Manchester United following Barcelona capturing the youngster from Athletico Paranaense. 

Roque made his La Liga debut in January, scoring his first goal the same month. Despite the 19-year-old struggling for game time since, starting a mere two games and failing to get off the bench in Barca’s last three matches as the team saw Real Madrid win the La Liga title, Edu is interested in bringing the forward to London. 

Arsenal's cause has been helped by Roque’s agent Andre Curry slamming outgoing Barca boss Xavi on why his player hasn’t played more. 

“Everyone thinks that Vitor Roque has to have more minutes and no one understands why the coach [Xavi] doesn’t give them to him," Roque’s agent Andre Cury said on RAC1.

“Xavi never spoke to the player.

"I do not understand this situation and I think it is not good for either party. I have told the boy that what he has to do is work even harder and wait for the opportunity, but I have also seen matches to give him minutes and prominence and thus avoid this unpleasant situation."

“In my opinion the team concedes a lot of goals and that doesn’t help."