Barcelona are looking to keep up their record of securing the finest South American talent…
Spanish newspaper Sport has revealed the two Brazilian stars that Barcelona are keeping a close eye on.
The first is Gabriel Barbosa, known as “Gabigol”. As part of the monster Neymar deal, Barcelona were given ‘right of refusal’ on Barbosa, along with fellow Santos players Giva and Victor Andrade. While the latter two have disappointed, Gabigol has had a breakthrough season this year.
Gabriel is explosively fast, and can play anywhere in the attacking line. He picked up an impressive eight goals and five assists in his 28 starts in the Brasilaerao this year.
With European teams including their arch-rivals Real Madrid looking certain to test Santos’ nerve with bids this summer, Barca have sent scouts to watch their prospect, to ascertain just how much they are willing to pay to secure his services.
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The other youngster being observed by Catalan scouts is 17-year-old forward Malcolm of Corinthians, who is more of an unknown quantity. The flair with which the youngster plays has lead to comparisons with Neymar, and Inter Milan are said to be interested in gambling on the youngster.
According to Sport, Malcolm is largely owned by third-party investors, so a deal for him may be slightly more difficult to complete.