According to Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring the progress of Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, who is on loan from Inter Milan. The Brazilian has impressed the onlookers with his performances upon his return to his homeland. As a result, he has attracted the interest of the Premier League outfit as they look for reinforcements in the upcoming January transfer window.
Gabriel Barbosa’s failure in Europe
Barbosa initially moved to Inter back in 2016 for a fee of almost €30 million. He was, at that time, regarded as the next big thing in Brazilian football. However, the forward performed miserably during his time in Milan, notably featuring in just over 100 minutes of league football during his debut campaign in Serie A.
The youngster got completely overshadowed by the performances of Mauro Icardi, who, in turn, went onto to become one of the best strikers in world football.
Gabriel’s struggles, meanwhile, saw him move to Benfica on loan in 2017. But, his spell in Portugal was cut short after failing to make an impression. He only featured in one league game for the Eagles before returning to Milan in January 2018.
A resurgence in Brazil
A one-year loan move to former club Santos in 2018 seemed like the icing on Gabriel’s terrible stint in Europe. However, the Brazilian began to show signs of his former self and ended up netting 18 goals for Santos last season. His performances helped his club finish in mid-table.
And this year, the 23-year-old has upped his game to a whole new level, having found the back of the net 19 times in 20 league games. He has scored more than one-third of Flamengo’s goals this season. As a result, they are leading the Brazilian Serie A, with a comfortable ten-point lead over second-placed Palmeiras.
Should Spurs make a move for Gabriel?
While Gabriel has been in excellent form in the Brazilian top flight since the start of 2018, it’s hard to overlook his failures in Europe. Added to that, we are talking about joining the Premier League, which is known for its fast-paced nature of football. All evidence points to the fact that the Brazilian international may once again struggle to adapt.
Hence, it would perhaps be a wiser decision not to make a move for Gabriel. Instead, the Lilywhites should target someone who can not only provide cover for Harry Kane but also emulate him in the future. Freiburg’s Luca Waldschmidt, for one, has shown a lot of promise and could be an exciting target.
