West Ham seem to be rather short up front this season.
The Hammers brought in Sebastien Haller and Albian Ajeti in the summer. They did sell Javier Hernandez, however. And if the Frenchman or the Swiss hitman suffer injuries or suspension, West Ham could be in a tight spot in attack.
With this in in mind, Manuel Pellegrini must look to sign an established striker in January.
And an extremely useful option for them could be Gabriel Barbosa.
The 23-year-old is currently on loan with Flamengo from Inter Milan. And he has been in sizzling form, scoring 20 goals in 23 appearances this season.
The Brazilian known as ‘Gabigol’ possesses all of the attributes required to be a success in the Premier League.
His playing style is similar to Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus. He is strong, quick along the ground, and is lethal when presented with a goalscoring opportunity.
And West Ham were allegedly keen on signing him in January.
Sky Sports claimed that the Hammers wanted to sign Barbosa before he linked up with Flamengo on a year-long loan deal.
The South American joined Inter Milan from Santos in the summer of 2016, for a fee believed to be worth £22.4 million, according to ESPN. So West Ham would surely have to pay at least that amount, in order to prise him away from the San Siro permanently in January.
Barbosa would provide excellent competition for Haller and Ajeti. And he would arrive in east London with a lot to prove.
Despite his prolific form in Brazil, he has failed to make an impact in Europe.
And West Ham might just be the perfect place for him to announce himself on the European stage.