Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has shared what he knows as West Ham United eye a move for Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa.
The Lowdown: West Ham enter talks…
As first reported by Sky Sports, West Ham have been in talks to sign the Brazil international and even tabled a loan bid with the option to make his move permanent for €30m (£25m).
Barbosa is believed to be keen on a move to England and the Premier League amid David Moyes’ search for a centre-forward alternative to Michail Antonio.
New recruitment chief Rob Newman and the east London club are still yet to bring in a signing for that position as the January transfer window enters its final week, with Brown now sharing an update on their bid to sign Barbosa.
The Latest: West Ham move ‘on the table’…
Speaking to GiveMeSport, citing ‘lots of little leaks’, he claims that a move for the 25-year-old is still ‘on the table’, believing it is due to the fact we don’t actually know what Barbosa wants himself.
“The only reason that one is still on the table is we don’t really know what the player himself wants,” Brown stated.
“There’s been lots of little leaks here and there that he really wants to come to the Premier League and that he really wants to come now and he likes West Ham and the way they play, and thinks he could be a really good fit there. But we haven’t really heard any of that from him.”
The Verdict: Time to step up bid?
Amid this uncertainty surrounding Barbosa’s future in South America and the reports indicating he wants a move to Europe, we believe West Ham need to either step up their pursuit or swiftly move on to other targets.
The January window has just over a week remaining and Moyes needs to address the centre-forward position as soon as possible, especially given Antonio’s history of injury problems and their real lack of natural alternatives.
Having scored 29 goals in all competitions throughout 2021, Barbosa is proven in front of goal and still at a fairly young age as he comes with the potential for sell-on value. Given his torrid spell at Inter Milan, though, you can understand why the Irons haven’t yet lodged an outright permanent bid and are more interested in a loan with the option to buy.
However, now is the time to make a final decision on whether to continue pushing for his arrival as we enter a crucial period of the transfer window.
In other news: ‘I know’ – Sky journalist makes live TV transfer claim involving West Ham and 28 y/o ‘beast’, find out more here.
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