Aston Villa transfer target Gabriel Barbosa could be a 'really good' acquisition for the club, in the view of transfer insider Dean Jones

The lowdown

According to a recent report from 90min, the striker was a target for Villa during the January transfer window, and NSWE are still thought to be 'keeping tabs' on his situation with a view to a potential move.

Nicknamed 'Gabigol', Barbosa currently plays for Brazilian giants Flamengo after making a £15.75m move from Inter Milan in January 2020.

The Athletic's Gregg Evans has already written that Steven Gerrard wants to add another centre-forward to his ranks in the coming weeks.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones pointed out that Barbosa has been representing Brazil, the world's top-ranked international team. The 25-year-old made Tite's squads in September and October 2021 and January 2022, scoring against Venezuela and Uruguay.

Jones said of the Flamengo marksman's links with Villa: "I think Gabigol could be [good enough], to be honest. I mean, he's a Brazilian No.9. If he's good enough to get into that set-up, he's got to be good enough to play for Aston Villa, surely.

"We don't obviously know yet if he's Champions League class, but he's kind of proven that he's world-class on an international basis, so I feel Gabigol might be a really good get for a club like Aston Villa."

The verdict

Barbosa's record for Flamengo is sensational - 158 games, 131 goal involvements (103 goals, 28 assists).

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that he was named in the IFFHS South American Team of the Year in 2021, alongside Neymar, Lionel Messi and Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez.

However, it would still be a gamble to move for the £23.4m-rated marksman, who struggled during his previous stints in Europe with Inter Milan and Benfica. He made just 15 appearances combined across those two spells, netting only two goals.

Therefore, you might wonder whether he can deliver in the Premier League, the top-ranked division on the continent.