In three months, Gabriel Barbosa’s loan spell at Flamengo is expiring, and he will theorically return to Inter Milan.
But as it doesn’t seem like the Italian side will make big efforts to hold the striker, a big race for him is about to begin, and West Ham have been dragged in.
The 23-year-old has been ridiculously good since joining the Rio de Janeiro club in January. He’s scored 31 goals in 41 games, and is the Brazilian league’s top scorer with 17 goals in only 16 appearances so far.
That’s why, according to the Italian media, West Ham are interested in the player again. FC Inter News claimed on Wednesday that the London side thought about the signing earlier this year, and could now be convinced by his recent performances.
Meanwhile, it’s been claimed that Flamengo offered €15m to get Gabigol on a permanent deal, while Inter Milan are now demanding €25m.
However, the Brazilian media isn’t so sure about that. Reliable journalists such as Mauro Cézar Pereira claim that there are talks, but not a price tag for the player. Fox Sports also claimed that according to his staff, Inter haven’t set an amount yet, and there’s a chance Flamengo can keep him.
We also wonder if West Ham’s interest is true, since it’s pretty convenient for Inter Milan to have other sides in the race to make his price go up, and the Hammers claims have come from an Inter source.
Now Gabigol has done pretty well in Brazil for the past couple of years, both at Santos and Flamengo. But perhaps his failures at Inter and Benfica could have a big impact when European sides think of signing him again. West Ham may be a lot richer than Flamengo, but would they be as convinced to spend a big amount?
