West Ham United are reportedly one of the four Premier League clubs interested in signing Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.
The Brazilian international has revived his stuttering career since moving back to his native land after a failed spell with Inter Milan. After a successful loan spell with Santos, he initially joined Flamengo on loan before the club signed him permanently from Inter Milan in 2020.
According to Sky Sports, West Ham have held talks over signing Gabriel Barbosa in this ongoing January transfer window. The Brazilian forward, nicknamed ‘Gabigol’, wants to play in the Premier League as he feels it would give him the best opportunity to cement his place in Tite’s 2022 World Cup squad. He watches all of West Ham’s games and is said to be impressed by the work David Moyes is doing in east London, the report adds.
Gabriel, 25, has been a prolific goal-getter for Flamengo, scoring 104 goals in 147 games in three seasons. He netted 29 goals and provided nine assists from 43 games in all competitions this past season. And the forward’s performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with plenty of clubs across Europe keeping tabs on him.
Gabriel Barbosa to West Ham—Should the Hammers sign the Brazilian?
West Ham are pushing for Champions League qualification after enjoying a bright first half of the season. David Moyes’ side are fifth on the table, a point off fourth-placed Arsenal.
To boost the east London outfit’s chances of finishing in the top four, David Moyes must try reinforcing his squad this month. And signing a striker should be prioritised by the Scotsman, with Michail Antonio the only recognised No.9 in the squad.
Gabriel Barbosa, in that regard, would be a viable option for the Hammers. A centre-forward by trade, Gabriel can also play off the right or as a secondary striker and provide his team with speed, energy and creativity in the final third. He is excellent at linking play and is lethal in the box, often waiting to punish the opposition’s mistakes.
The 17-cap Brazilian international is supremely confident in his abilities and his work ethic is pretty impressive too. The 25-year-old has a sweet left foot with which he has scored plenty of spectacular goals for Flamengo.
Having resurrected his career at Flamengo, Gabriel, at 25, looks ready for another shot in Europe. With time, he will only get better and West Ham should do everything they can to sign the highly-rated Brazilian striker. However, a player moving from Brasileiro Série A to the Premier League could take some time to settle.
