Crystal Palace leapfrog Newcastle as Hodgson eyes ambitious move for prolific Brazilian star
Bitello of Gremio battles for possession ball with Gabriel Barbosa of Flamengo
Crystal Palace are said to be among the European clubs who are interested in signing a Brazilian star who has an excellent track record in South America.
Roy Hodgson’s side have enjoyed a steady start to the new campaign as they currently sit 10th in the table and are seven points above the relegation zone.
Some pundits had predicted a slight drop off from Palace this season as they are now without Wilfried Zaha who had been their talisman for the best part of a decade.
Despite the loss of Zaha, Palace have still found a way to win matches as the likes of Odsonne Edouard and Eberechi Eze have stepped up in his absence.
While Palace have been going well of late, they are looking to add to their attacking options next year to keep them competitive in the Premier League.
Hodgson’s side have averaged one goal per game so far this season and already have their eye on an attacking option who could improve these numbers.
According to a report in Spain, as reported by The Hard Tackle, Crystal Palace are among the clubs who are interested in Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa.
The 27-year-old did have a short stint in Europe with Inter Milan, but most of his successes has come while playing in South America.
Barbosa has an exceptional track record for Flamengo and its no surprise clubs like Crystal Palace are interested. In 258 games for the Brazilian side, Barbosa has scored 153 goals.
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Plenty of sides are interested
Given his prolific scoring record in Brazil, it will come as no surprise to learn that plenty of European sides are currently monitoring the striker.
The same report claims that Fulham are also interested as Marco Silva’s side are still trying to offset the loss of Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Earlier in the summer, Premier League sides Newcastle and West Ham were also linked with the forward. Newcastle in particular have held a long-term interest in Barbosa.
As Newcastle have quite the Brazilian core growing within their squad, a move this summer would have made sense, but this didn’t materialise in the end.
In an interview with The Sun in 2020, Barbosa admitted that he still has some regrets over how his time in Europe ended with Inter Milan.
“My bad experiences with Inter Milan and Benfica have made me stronger. It is in these moments that we grow up,” the Flamengo forward explained.
“Today, a few years later, I know I could have done some different things. My experience in Europe was a very quick story, I still feel frustrated.”
As Barbosa seemingly has some unfinished business in Europe, he could be tempted by a move to the Premier League in 2024.
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