According to a recent report by the Mirror, as mentioned by the Daily Star, West Ham United are eager to bring Inter Milan forward Gabriel Barbosa to England. The same report also claims that Manuel Pellegrini is keen on signing the Brazilian striker to bolster his attacking options at the London Stadium.
Barbosa is currently playing on a loan deal for the Brazilian giants, Santos after failing to break into the Inter Milan first-team this season. He has lit up the Brazilian top-flight with some mesmerising displays for Santos during the course of this campaign. The 22-year-old has featured in 35 league matches for Santos this term, scoring 18 goals while creating one assist.
His current loan spell in Brazil would give him a lot of confidence moving forward as he looks to test himself at the highest level in European football. A move to England could give him the ideal platform to showcase his talents to the world.
The Hammers have had a rollercoaster of a campaign so far and are currently occupying the 12th spot in the league standings, a massive 12 points above the relegation zone. Pellegrini has managed to establish his style of football at the London Stadium, and Barbosa could be a perfect fit for his team up top.
The likes of Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez have failed to score goals consistently for West Ham this season mainly because they have both been plagued with injuries this season. Hence, the addition of someone of Barbosa’s talents would be a significant upgrade over the duo and could help the Hammers push on to a top half finish at the end of this campaign.
The Brazilian centre-forward has excellent pace in his locker and is a very effective dribbler with the ball at his feet. The Inter striker knows how to find the back of the net consistently and can link up play well in the attacking end of the pitch.
However, he lacks the physical strength to stand the test of Premier League football which would be a cause for concern against such a move. Overall, the pros outweigh the cons so the East London outfit should consider making a move for the Serie A attacker’s signature in the coming months.
