ExWHUemployee shares update on West Ham pursuit of striker Gabriel Barbosa
ExWHUemployee has poured cold water on speculation linking West Ham with a move to sign Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.
Speaking on Sky Sports News’ Transfer Show on Tuesday [4 January, 05:16pm], journalist Dharmesh Sheth reported that Gabigol, 25, would be keen on a move to West Ham if they made an offer.
Sheth adds that the Irons were looking into a loan-to-buy deal worth £25million but reliable insider ExWHUemployee says the deal is unlikely to be completed.
“Moves for Gabriel Barbosa are still being reported on the press but I don’t believe this deal is close or likely to happen at this point,” said Ex on his West Ham Way Patreon page.
Keep trying – or move on?
West Ham can keep trying to secure a deal for Gabigol but it seems as though Flamengo are playing hard to get.
Sheth reports that the Brazil international has told his club’s officials that he’d like to talk to Premier League clubs who bid for him this month so if the Hammers make an offer, it could cause some disruption at the Maracana.
Flamengo probably won’t want to keep hold of an unhappy player and here at West Ham, we’d really like to have a player who’s willing to join us.
Gabigol has a good reason to move to England too as his previous spell in Europe, at Inter Milan, saw him prove to be a massive flop.
Since returning to Brazil with Flamengo, he’s been superb and fired the Rio De Janeiro club to the Copa Libertadores final last year, in which he scored in a defeat to Palmeiras.
Gabigol is worth pursuing but the club needs to have irons in plenty of fires to ensure they don’t miss out totally on signing a new striker this month.
In other West Ham news, a pundit says what Jurgen Klopp thinks of this exit-linked Hammers ace.
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