Gabriel Barbosa agent plays down Manchester United transfer speculation

Gabriel of Santos has been linked with a move away from Brazil. (Picture: Getty)

The agent of highly-rated Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa has played down speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United.

Gabriel, known as Gabigol, was thought to be closing in on a surprise £30million move from Santos to Old Trafford as Jose Mourinho continues to overhaul the Red Devils.

Having secured the high-profile signings of Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba already this summer, Gabriel Barbosa was thought to be the next recruit after Santos president Modesto Roma has already confirmed negotiations with United.

With keen interest from the likes of Leicester, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, the forward’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, was forced to confirm serious interest from Europe.

However, when asked by Brazilian broadcaster Globo Esporte about a potential move to Old Trafford before the transfer window closes, Ribeiro insisted the talk was ‘merely speculation’.

All you need to know about Gabigol

The basics

Known by his nickname ‘Gabigol’, Gabriel Barbosa is a 19-year-old striker playing for Santos, where he has been for his entire career so far.

Having come through the club’s youth system, which has in recent years brought through big names like Neymar and Robinho, Gabigol became a first-team regular for the side back in 2013.

His remarkable rise also means he is already a full Brazil international, having appeared four times for his country so far.
The striker has scored 56 goals in 152 appearances for Santos. (Picture: Getty )
The stats

Given that he’s still only a teenager, Gabigol’s scoring stats are very impressive, and it’s easy to see why suitors might think he’s already good enough to lead the line for a top Premier League club.

The youngster already has 54 goals in total for Santos, coming in 148 games, so at a rate of 0.36 per game. For Brazil, he’s made a flying start with two goals in just four senior caps.

Of course, scoring in the Brazilian league and scoring in England’s top flight are two very different things, but this early prolific form highlights Gabigol’s tremendous potential and natural ability at finding the back of the net.
The hype

Coming up through the ranks at Santos, it’s inevitable that Gabigol has been compared with his fellow countryman Neymar, who also broke through in the club’s first-team as a teenager.

Neymar’s start may have been slightly more explosive than Gabigol’s, but there are clear similarities in the pair’s playing style and technique.

Like Neymar, Gabigol’s pace and dribbling skill make him the perfect all-rounder up front, offering variety to the forward line.

With the pressure of living up to the likes of Neymar and Pele before him, Gabigol has actually coped rather well in settling into Santos’ first-team and carving his own name into the club’s recent history.
Gabriel with former Manchester City forward Robinho. (Picture: Getty)

Gabriel Barbosa is thought to be valued in excess of £30million by his current club.