According to reports, Premier League club West Ham United are interested in bringing in Serie A winger Gabriel Barbosa. The Inter Milan man had arrived at San Siro on the back of some tremendous hype and expectations but has turned out to be extremely disappointing in his debut season. The Nerazzurri, hence, are willing to loan him out to get him brushed up with top-level competition.
The Hammers, pretty much like last summer, are showing interest in players who are above their league, this summer too, hoping the outcome turns out to be different. And Slaven Bilic is willing to bring in the Brazilian international to London Stadium in any discipline. Given the whopping £26 million that Inter had to splurge out to get him, they would hardly want to let him go permanently after just a season.
Following the disastrous debut season of Sofiane Feghouli, who came from La Liga side Valencia last summer and the sudden departure of Dimitri Payet midseason, Bilic was left hardly any option from the wide areas. He stuck with Michail Antonio up front as he was scoring goals until he brought in Robert Snodgrass in January, but even the former Hull City star could provide little.
Bilic was tremendously fortunate to finish the season above the relegation zone as Premier League’s lower half, strangely, displayed a collectively underwhelming campaign. However, the Croat manager cannot afford to make the same mistakes next season too and hence West Ham United are fighting hard to get Barbosa.
Landing the Brazilian in the Premier League, however, won’t be easy. And it is not for the number of suitors that the winger has caught the attention of, but the work-permit concerns. The Hammers are extremely frustrated owing to the intricate rules that claim now Barbosa is unlikely to meet the criteria of the work-permit criteria for the top flight’s Exceptions panel.
Luring Gabigol (as he is more famously known), wouldn’t be a big problem as the player has grown increasingly frustrated at his lack of game time in Italy. He could manage only one start last season in the meagre 10 appearances he got in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, where he got a goal. The early season managerial change did not help his cause.
It has hugely hindered his progress, mostly at the national level. Gabigol could manage only three caps for Brazil in the last 12 months. And with World Cup coming up, first team action remains his only prerequisite over the stature of the club.
