Patrick Rees
The transfer incomings for the Red half of Manchester is far from over. Well, we certainly believed what Jose Mourinho said in his very first press conference. He clearly mentioned that he would be signing four players this summer to complete the lot, and the arrival of Paul Pogba has completed Mourinho’s promise to the fans.
But right at this very moment, the media is not looking to stop circling their rumours about the possible transfers regarding Manchester United. The Sun has now stated that Manchester United are looking to add a fifth name into the squad in form of Brazilian wonder kid, Gabriel Barbosa. The source has further stated that a bid of around £30m is expected from the Devils for the player, who is also a reported target for the fellow Premier League sides; Chelsea and Leicester City.
A fee breakdown is reported to be as: £26million for the player – plus a £4million commission fee to his agent. The deal is looking quite serious, but the Devils do face a stiff competition not just from the Premier League clubs, but also from the Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan. Not just the club, but even the teenager couldn’t stop himself when he heard of the news that Premier League clubs are looking to add him in their squad.
Well, only the time will decide where this 19-year-old will end up, but until then, we give you a complete scout report of this Brazilian Samba kid:
Who is Gabriel Barbosa?
Born in Sao Paulo, Gabriel started his footballing career at the age of 8 when he joined the youth academy of Santos in 2004. Eight years later, the teenager signed his first professional contract with the club, and as Santos were aware of his talent, they mentioned a €50 million buyout clause in his contract.
Aged 16, Gabriel made his first league appearance in a 0-0 draw, and three months later, the trickster scored his first professional goal of his career, which turned out to be the goal of the game. He struggled during his debut season, but eventually, the teenager cemented his spot in the starting lineup. During the 2014 season, he made 56 appearances for the club and scored an impressive 21 number of goals.
The stats remained constant in the following season, but his popularity in the sport became worth mentioning. Till date, the 19-year-old has more than 150 caps for his club and has scored 56 goals, which is something more than interesting. Besides that, the 19-year-old has represented his country, Brazil, at every level; starting from U15.
Style of Play:
Just like most of the Brazilians, the Samba kid is known for his dancing feet, which is his utmost weapon. Barbosa’s full potential comes when deployed as a centre forward, but apart from that, he could also serve his side from either wings, and if supported by a second striker, the lad will kill the opponents with his skills.
His playing style is quite similar to that of his countryman Neymar and is also touted as the next big thing in the sport. Well, the 19-year-old is certainly justifying the ‘Next Big Thing’ title as he is improving his game performance after performance. Just like Neymar, the 19-year-old is recognized for his jaw-dropping dribbling abilities, which allows him to surpass the opponents with ease. Besides that, Gabriel possesses a sheer finishing skill and is capable of hitting the target more often, and only because of this, the 19-year-old has been nick named as “Gabigol”.
Apart from that, the Brazilian is known for his amazing work-rate which allows him to run on to the pitch for full 90 minutes and not just scoring goals, Gabigol has also been praised for his playmaking abilities.
He is a gifted player, who is keen on improving his worth. A guaranteed goal scorer is what Gabriel is, but still, the lad is lacking the experience of a top quality football, which is a gradual process. Apart from that, consistency is also an aspect he should work upon if he tends to succeed in the Premier League.
Well, this is certain that Premier League will test you no matter how good you are, and many believe that he might struggle regarding his fitness in the league, but the 19-year-old has all the time in the world to work on that, and joining a manager like Jose Mourinho, who loves his players to possess pace will only make him better.
