Having already signed Michy Batshuayi and N’Golo Kante, Chelsea Football Club are focusing their efforts on new transfer targets with the club reportedly looking at Santos youth star Gabriel Barbosa.
The Brazilian youth product was quoted saying “soon you will know something,” having scored this past weekend in Santos’ win over Ponte Preta. Barbosa, 19, has been linked most prominently to Chelsea, Barcelona and Juventus this summer.
Statistically, The attacking midfielder has been a proven threat as he has tallied five goals in 10 appearances thus far this season, while scoring 18 goals in 58 starts and 14 substitute appearances in three seasons prior for Santos. Over those four seasons, he has also contributed 12 assists and a 82% pass completion percentage, comparable to that of top European players.
Physically, Barbosa comes in standing at 5’7 while weighing 68 kilograms. Often times deployed on the wings or at striker for Santos, Barbosa is skillful and two-footed, making him an attacking threat from all angles of the pitch.
Due to his high work rate, Barbosa is oftentimes not in ideal positions for a striker as he looks to make opportunities for others, but considering the fact that Diego Costa and Michy Batshuayi would line up front for Chelsea, Barbosa would likely play on the wing.
Evidently, Barbosa’s strongest asset is his goal scoring touch as he has proved over the past two seasons that he is capable of getting his name on the scoresheet more often than not. Utilizing his height, Barbosa has good control of the ball and is able to use his quickness to his strength in order to create opportunities from the wing.
His size, while helpful in Brazil, could prove to be an issue in Europe. Coming in with a slender frame, many of Europe’s top defenses are composed of tall, physical defenders and Barbosa could prove to be a liability on set-pieces as well as trying to beat defenders in one-on-one situations. The positives of this, though, are twofold. Firstly, Barbosa would likely slot in as a winger at Chelsea and secondly, if he were to play striker, the opportunity to add strength is always there. It’s not an issue that cannot be resolved.
Being 19, Barbosa does struggle with consistency at times, but is by no means erratic as he posted an average match rating of 7.23 this season, and seen his average match rating go up in every season he has played before.
Currently the gem of Santos’ youth academy, Barbosa could prove to be a formidable force on a European side if developed correctly. Chelsea reportedly have an “offer on the table” worth £25 million, but other European giants seem to be hot on their heels, pursuing the highly coveted Brazilian prospect.
While Brazilian players might not have always worked out in the past for English clubs, Barbosa’s talent level, that has earned him comparisons to Neymar, as well as a strong support base at Chelsea with the likes of Willian, Oscar, Kenedy and Nathan all hailing from Brazil, Barbosa should have everything he needs to succeed, if he ends up in London.
