Everton have become the main focus of the latest reports coming out of Brazil about Vitor Roque, with the Merseyside club looking at a potential move for the Palmeiras striker in 2027.

Chelsea have previously explored a deal for the Brazilian, while Tottenham and Manchester United are also keeping an eye on his situation. For now, though, it’s Everton attracting most of the attention in the Brazilian media.

And there’s plenty to discuss beyond the transfer rumours. The 21-year-old is an aggressive, hard-working forward who loves attacking space and making life difficult for defenders. He’s also quite different from a traditional target man.

After an excellent 2025, when he scored 20 goals for Palmeiras, Roque has endured a much tougher season. An ankle injury and subsequent surgery have affected his playing time and performances.

With Palmeiras demanding at least €50m (£44m), it’s worth taking a closer look at his playing style, strengths and weaknesses, and what he could actually bring to Everton.

An aggressive striker who loves attacking space

Roque’s biggest strength is his movement. He can lead the attack as a centre-forward, but rarely spends an entire match standing between two centre-backs.

He likes drifting into the channels, especially towards the left, before accelerating into space or cutting back inside.

Brazilian journalist Paulo Vinícius Coelho has explained this aspect of his game in detail for UOL. He described Roque as more of an arrow than a wall, highlighting his ability to exploit space behind defenders.

It’s a useful distinction. Roque can compete physically and hold defenders off, but he isn’t someone who wants to spend all afternoon receiving long balls with his back to goal.

He prefers attacking passes into space, chasing through balls and taking defenders towards their own penalty area.

His acceleration over short distances is another major weapon. When fully fit, he can turn a relatively harmless attacking move into a dangerous situation with one run.

At Palmeiras, that movement has worked well alongside Flaco López, whose more traditional centre-forward qualities complement Roque’s style.

The Brazilian can pull defenders wide, leaving room for López to attack centrally. It’s a partnership that helped bring the best out of both players in 2025.

Why his work rate could appeal to Everton

There’s another side to Roque’s game which deserves attention. He works extremely hard without the ball.

He presses defenders, chases loose passes and tries to force mistakes high up the pitch. He’s also happy to get involved in physical battles.

Back in March, Globo Esporte highlighted his defensive contribution at Palmeiras. At that stage of the Brazilian season, he averaged 1.75 tackles per league game.

He was also drawing plenty of fouls, averaging 2.25 per match in the São Paulo state championship.

Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira has repeatedly praised that commitment. He even described Roque as a “lion” because of the way he fights for possession and competes with opponents.

For Everton, that side of his game could be important. David Moyes has built a team that works hard defensively, but finding consistent attacking output remains a challenge.

Thierno Barry currently leads the line, and Roque would offer a different kind of movement. His willingness to chase defenders and attack the channels could give Everton another way of stretching opponents.

He could also operate alongside a more conventional striker, as he has done with López in Brazil.

That doesn’t automatically make him a perfect fit. Everton would need to consider how to get the best from a forward who likes freedom of movement and space to accelerate.

What are the weaknesses?

Roque’s physical qualities are a huge part of his game, but that also creates a problem when he isn’t fully fit… And that can be quite common.

He relies heavily on acceleration, strength and intensity. Take those away, and he becomes much less effective. That’s exactly what Palmeiras have experienced in 2026.

The Brazilian underwent surgery on his left ankle after struggling with ligament problems earlier in the year. He spent around three months out, between April and July, and has struggled to recover his previous level.

His numbers have suffered accordingly. After recording 20 goals and five assists in 3,548 minutes last season, he has nine goals and one assist in 1,993 minutes this year.

Roque has also struggled to finish matches. Full 90-minute appearances have become rare, while his effectiveness in front of goal has dropped.

In August, Ferreira publicly questioned his physical condition. He explained that Roque needed to recover his fitness because his style of football depended so heavily on it.

There have been encouraging signs since. Against LDU Quito in September, Roque helped create the winning goal by recovering possession and shooting, allowing Giay to score from the rebound.

Ferreira praised the performance, suggesting the striker was beginning to look more like his old self.

His finishing can still frustrate, and he doesn’t always convert the opportunities his movement creates. Everton would also need patience with his development as a central attacking reference.

The Everton question – Talent, price and another chance in Europe

Roque already knows European football, although his previous spell wasn’t successful.

He struggled to establish himself at Barcelona and subsequently joined Real Betis on loan. His move back to Brazil in February 2025 gave him the chance to rebuild his confidence and reputation.

Palmeiras eventually got a much more productive striker, especially once Ferreira found the right role for him.

Now Everton are interested in giving him another opportunity in Europe. Palmeiras, however, won’t entertain negotiations below €50m (£44m). And that’s a substantial amount for a striker who has spent much of 2026 trying to regain his fitness.

Of course the attraction is understandable. Roque offers pace, aggression, intelligent movement and the potential to score plenty of goals. There’s also a willingness to do the dirty work that Moyes would surely appreciate.

The concern is whether Everton would get the explosive striker who flourished in 2025 or the less effective version seen since his surgery.

His performances over the coming months should offer a much better indication. At the price Palmeiras want, those details matter quite a lot.