Report: Liverpool plan January bid for Brazilian attacker, chief open to move
By Dominic Toner
Liverpool are interested in signing Inter Milan attacker Gabriel Barbosa in January, according to a report.
The Sun claim that the Reds are prepared to make a move for the Brazilian 20-year-old, who has been out-of-favour since his move to Inter.
The report details that Inter chief Stefan Pioli is prepared to sell Gabriel despite him only joining the Serie A club in August for £25million from Santos.
“Will he remain? We are evaluating the situation. Our first objective in January is to whittle down the squad, because we want players who are happy to be at a big club like Inter,” Pioli said.
Gabriel has struggled to adjust this season since his move from native club Santos in the summer.
The youngster has made just three appearances all season for Inter and is yet to start a match for them.
He earned himself a glamorous move to Europe after an impressive spell at Santos, where the attacker scored 24 goals and supplied 12 assists in 82 appearances.
Liverpool have a strong connection with Brazilian players in the current squad and Barbosa could join the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Lucas.
He predominately plays on the wing and would be able to fit into Klopp’s attacking 4-3-3 system.
Football Insider verdict:
Liverpool should test Inter Milan’s resolve on young striker Gabriel Barbosa in January as they should strengthen their squad ahead of a title run-in. The Merseyside club are just six points behind leaders Chelsea and have a genuine chance of winning the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp should be looking to add to his squad and Gabriel would have a good connection with the Brazilian contingent. He has been completely untested since his move to Inter and showed great potential during his time in Brazil. The Premier League has enjoyed having some fantastic Brazilian stars during its time and youngster Gabriel has the potential to develop into the next one.
In other Liverpool transfer news, the club have scared off potential suitors by demanding a loan fee for their defender.