According to Jorge Nicola, as cited by Sport Witness, Crystal Palace have very little hope of signing Gabriel Barbosa. It was believed that the Eagles were in contention to sign the Flamengo forward as he had received offers only from FC Schalke and Palace themselves. But, the Brazilian journalist has now revealed that Gabrigol believes he could get an offer from a bigger club and is thus ready to wait it out.
Palace’s attacking woes
After failing to seal the services of Michy Batshuayi on a permanent basis in the summer, Crystal Palace have lacked the presence of a reliable goal-scorer. Their main striker Christian Benteke has been out of form for a long, long time. Not to mention, the Belgian has struggled with a host of injuries that have halted his progress.
As a result, Roy Hodgson has had to rely on the services of Jordan Ayew. And the former Swansea star, who is not known for his scoring traits, has surprisingly shone this season. The Ghanaian is already the club’s top goalscorer with four goals, two of which have come in the last four matches.
But even then, Palace still lack that ingenuity and sharpness that is, otherwise, prevalent in a striker. Hence, they must sign a number nine in the upcoming January transfer window if they are to finish in the top half of the league this season.
Is Gabrigol a viable target for Palace?
Gabrigol, despite his resurgence in Brazil, will always remain a risky option not just for Palace but for any club in Europe. The ex-Santos sensation fared poorly during his stint at Inter Milan. He also failed to make an impression in Benfica before returning to his native Brazil.
Therefore, one could argue that the forward may once again struggle in Europe, more so in the fast-paced nature of the Premier League. And with Palace in desperate need of goals, it would perhaps be a wiser decision for them to invest in a more proven or less risky option.
Hence, the Premier League outfit should drop their pursuit of Gabrigol, even though the hopes of securing his services already seem to be diminishing. At the end of the day, it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga pans out, and in the meantime, Hodgson should persist with Ayew as the main centre forward.
