West Ham target to ‘tell club he wants to leave’ amid £25m bid

Jason Soutar
Reported West Ham target Gabriel Barbosa dribbling with the ball

West Ham-linked striker Gabriel Barbosa will tell Flamengo that ‘he wants to leave the club and move to England’, according to reports.

The Brazil international made his name at Santos before joining Inter Milan for around £26million in 2016.

He struggled to make a name for himself in Europe, scoring once in ten matches for the Serie A giants.


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After an unsuccessful loan spell at Benfica, Barbosa rejoined Santos on loan before joining Flamengo temporarily in 2019, making his move permanent for around £15m a year later.

‘Gabigol’ has scored 104 goals in 147 games for his current side and is reportedly open on returning to European football.

Sky Sports claim that West Ham have made an offer to sign the 25-year-old on loan for 18 months, with the option of making the move permanent for £25m.

The report adds that Flamengo do not want to sell or loan the player this month.

However, Barbosa will reportedly tell the Brazilian side he ‘wants to leave’ in order to pursue a move to England. He will meet with his representatives and the Flamengo board on Thursday.

Furthermore, Gabigol has ‘unfinished business’ in Europe and feels a move to England would cement his role as Brazil’s leading striker at this year’s World Cup.

West Ham are very keen on signing a new striker this month as Michail Antonio is the club’s only out-and-out No. 9 in the first team.

They have been linked with Lille hitman Jonathan David, who will likely leave the French club in 2022.

The 21-year-old is valued at £45million according to Transfermarkt, having enjoyed a terrific time in France since leaving Genk in 2020.

He helped Lille win the Ligue 1 title last term, scoring 13 goals in 37 league appearances.

His performances have attracted interest from a host of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, who are on “red alert” after quotes from David’s agent.

“For us, the goal is to finish the season in Lille, but it will be his last season there for several reasons. I think the Premier League is a good option for him,” Nick Mavromaras, David’s agent, told Radio Canada.

“I think that he likes Spain a lot also because he likes the feeling of the ball and the very technical players. These two leagues are a big priority for him, but nothing is excluded.”