Having struggled in Europe with Inter Milan and Benfica, Gabriel Barbosa returned to Brazil when he joined Flamengo on loan in 2019, and his stay there was made permanent a year later.
The forward has impressed for the Rio de Janeiro club, managing 84 goals and 33 assists in 124 matches in all competitions. He managed 29 goals in 2021 and his form has seen him linked with a return to Europe, with Newcastle United named as a potential candidate.
Everton were also rumoured to be interested in the 25-year-old, but his agent, Junior Pedroso, rubbished these claims towards the end of November.
Pedroso has now given another interview to Globo Esporte, where he reveals how Eddie Howe’s side made an approach for his client.
“We have a great English partner, who is an agent and is not so well known. He works more behind the scenes. He actually made a formal consultation through Newcastle with us about Gabriel,” the agent said.
“And our goal as an agent is to pass on information and make things flow. We didn’t advance this possibility with Flamengo because this was not formalised by Newcastle either.”
