Manchester United, who have been struggling with Anthony Martial’s form, are targeting Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa as a replacement.
“United are interested in signing Barbosa from Brazilian side Flamengo,” English outlet TeamTalk reported on June 6.
Anthony, who was a protégé of Dutch coach Erik van Gaal at Ajax, moved to United last summer for €95 million ($132.6 million). Van Gaal requested Anthony’s signature when he moved to United. Anthony scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in 33 official games for Ajax in the 2021/22 season. The Red Devils were hoping he could develop into their starting wing forward.
Contrary to expectations, Anthony failed to spread his wings at United. He underperformed last season with eight goals and three assists in 43 games. This season, he has started 11 games and has yet to register a single offensive point. He was even investigated in Brazil for alleged domestic violence.
With Anthony failing to deliver, United are looking elsewhere. One player they’re keeping an eye on is Brazil’s Barbosa. Barbosa was once a promising attacking player who caught the eye of Europe. He scored eight goals and provided four assists in 31 games in Brazil’s Serie A in 2014. In 2015, he had 10 goals and seven assists in 30 games.
Barbosa moved to Inter Milan in the Italian Serie A in August 2016. Although he finally made it to Europe, he was unable to replicate his Brazilian form at Inter. He scored one goal in 10 games for Inter in the 2016/17 season. After failing to establish himself at Inter, Barbosa spent time on loan at Benfica, Santos, and Flamengo. 보스토토 도메인
After moving to Brazil, Barbosa enjoyed a resurgence. He scored 19 goals in 42 games for Santos in 2018 and 34 goals and 11 assists in 43 games for Flamengo in 2019. Barbosa made a full transfer to Flamengo in January 2020. With Flamengo, he scored double-digit goals in the Brazilian league for three consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2022. This season, he has 20 goals and four assists in 55 games.
Barbosa’s contract with Flamengo expires next year, according to the UK’s Mirror. The publication suggests that United could land Barbosa for £20 million. According to TeamTalk, United are willing to loan Anthony to Flamengo if they sign Barbosa. Anthony has played for São Paulo in Brazil.
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