West Ham United are looking to prise Brazilian star Gabriel Barbosa from his homeland to make the switch for the London Stadium.
He is currently plying his trade with Flamengo in Brazil, but with a World Cup just around the corner, playing in one of Europe’s top leagues could give him that extra bit of credibility when looking to make the squad for Qatar.
Would you take Gabriel Barbosa on a permanent deal at West Ham?
Yes
No
Talking on The Transfer Show on Sky Sports News, reporter Dharmesh Sheth went into detail as to why Barbosa – also known as ‘Gabigol’ – is willing to make the switch, saying:
“People are asking, what is the motivation for Gabigol to want to go to England? Immediately, people will say it’s a financially motivated decision. I’m assured it isn’t.
“It is to do with Brazil’s participation in the World Cup. He’s in the Brazil squad for the qualifiers at the end of this month and the beginning of next month against Paraguay and Ecuador. But it’s the makeup of that squad, that therein lies why Gabigol feels he needs to come to England.
“If you look at the squad, there are 26 players in that Brazil squad – 11 of them are in the Premier League, and Gabriel Barbosa feels he needs to be in that competition so that he’s shown in the same light as these other players.”
TIF Thoughts on the potential move for West Ham United…
Gabriel Barbosa is clearly a talented striker and would bring a huge improvement to the options that David Moyes has at his disposal.
He has 84 goals and 26 assists in his 123 Flamengo games, which represents a very impressive return that would be a huge bonus to the Hammers as they look to secure Champions League football this season – if he can replicate that form in east London, of course.
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Although West Ham may not be the first European club on the names of South American hotshots, the chance to qualify for the Champions League and the desperation to be a part of a World Cup with Brazil will clearly show him to be motivated.
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