With all odds against them, Leicester City achieved the impossible last season, in what was possibly the most inspiring piece of a fairy tale in recent years. Now what remains for them is the uphill task of thriving on the success of the bygone season. When you do not have monumental expectations heaped upon your shoulders, it is much easier to perform but there will be a serious hunger from the fans this campaign and Ranieri has to do justice to that.
The Foxes have utilized the summer transfer window quite well and the intentions from Ranieri are pretty clear that the long-term future of the club is to be sealed along with the present. With that in mind, Bartosz Kapustka, one of the biggest talents in world football was signed by the Premier League holders this summer and as per reports, the Foxes are moving for a much bigger name now.
Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa is reportedly a target of Ranieri now and the Foxes are willing to launch a £25million bid to bring the wonderkid to King Power Stadium. The Brazilian international, often christened as the ‘Next Neymar’, has attracted clubs like Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton, West Ham and plenty more and it will be a strong statement of intent from Ranieri if he can beat the host of clubs for the 19-year-old’s signature.
Santos FC is renowned for being the breeding ground for many of world football’s most talented stars like Pelé, Robinho, Diego Ribas, Ganso, Neymar and Barbosa is the new kid on the block coming out of the famed academy, who is better known by the moniker, ‘Gabigol’.
Gabriel, since making his debut at the tender age of 16, has shown experience and maturity unheard of at such early days, scoring key goals for Santos in the Brasileiro, the Paulista and also the Copa Do Brasil. What separates him from the rest is that he is not only a prolific scorer, but also a key playmaker, helping his teammates in the process.
Even though he is touted as the ‘Next Neymar’, Gabigol resembles Luis Suarez more than his compatriot. The 19-year-old is more of a complete forward with exceptional dribbling skills, eye for assists, amazing technique and a determination to come up with something out of nothing.
Standing at 1.76 metres tall and weighing 68 kilograms, Gabigol is a player who can terrify any defence on his day. Leicester’s 4-4-2 formation is an ideal fit for the complete forward. Even though most European clubs are in the hunt for the youngster, getting a regular first-team place will be a bit tricky for him elsewhere but Leicester City can be an exception.
Gabriel is way ahead of his age in terms of maturity and composure and he can prove to be a big upgrade on either Ulloa of Okazaki right away. With Vardy and Gabigol up front, Leicester City can definitely hang on to their success and even look to surpass their achievements and more importantly with this signing, Leicester will be able to show that they are far from being a one season wonder.
