A player finding life hard in Italy is not at all a rare sight. There are many such instances when a quality player struggles in Italy initially after a move. The most recent player to feature on that list is Brazilian forward Gabriel Barbosa who was supposed to be the ‘next big thing’ of the Selecao.
That does not mean that he is a bad player or anything and therefore, his stocks are still really high. talkSPORT claims that Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are all closely monitoring his situation at Inter Milan.
The striker only moved to the San Siro this summer from Santos after his displays in Brazilian Serie A for Santos. However, since making the switch the 20-year-old has barely featured and his agent, Wagner Ribeiro, has admitted his client could look to move on if his situation doesn’t change.
Should Chelsea use this situation to their advantage and bring the youngster to Stamford Bridge? Well, some fans might say that he has not been a hit at Inter Milan and it would be a big risk to go for him. But, in the young Brazilian’s defence, one could say that even Philippe Coutinho struggled at Inter Milan but has been a standout performer in the Premier League.
Gabigol got his football education from the famed academy of Brazilian giants Santos which has produced players like Pelé, Robinho, Diego Ribas, Ganso, Neymar in the past. Barbosa is the new kid on the block and has been often compared to his compatriot Neymar. Although, the ‘next Neymar’ resembles Luis Suarez more than Neymar in terms of style of play.
The Brazilian looks much ahead of his age in terms of the composure and maturity he possesses. Unlike most other forwards, Gabigol is not just a prolific finisher but someone who can create as well. With his flamboyance, dribbling skills, amazing technique, vision and all-around ability, Gabigol has everything to become one of the best in the world in near future. He also has the physique to do justice in the Premier League.
However, going for the Brazilian youngster would still be a big gamble for Chelsea. They have been over-reliant on Diego Costa up front this season. Michy Batshuayi has also done a decent job whenever he got a chance to prove himself. Conte cannot offer Gabigol first-team football either. So, for both parties, this move does not make that much of sense.
