26 Dec 2016

Klopp to Sign? €30m Brazil sensation responds to Liverpool rumours; confirms transfer 'plan' is to 'stay' at Inter

One of Liverpool's current transfer targets has responded to rumours linking him with a move to Anfield.

Liverpool are currently linked with Inter outcast Gabriel Barbosa, and in a recent interview, Milan director Piero Ausilio confirmed:

"If he [Barbosa] wants to leave, we will listen to his request.”

In a separate interview, Barbosa's agent, Wagner Ribeiro, hinted that an exit may be on the cards:

"I was contacted by a club to take Gabriel on loan [and] what I want is for my client to no longer be humiliated. Why isn’t he playing? Not even Inter can answer that."

When asked over the weekend about the Liverpool speculation, Barbosa dismissed rumours of an imminent exit:

"A lot of people are talking rubbish. Plan A is to stay at Inter. I'm learning a lot and it's just a matter of time. No player arrived and immediately went into the starting XI. I have to get used to it."

Some info about Barbosa, who is nicknamed the 'New Neymar':

* 20-year old right winger, who can also play on the left, or upfront.

* Signed from Santos over the summer for €30m over.

Santos: 36 goals/assists in 82 apps (One every 155 mins). This Season: Granted just 16 minutes of game time.

* Aug 2016: Barbosa's agent, raved: "He [Barbosa] has Neymar's technical skill and the pace of Lucas Moura".

* Sep 2016: Barbosa told TMW: “I talked a lot about the Inter transfer with Philippe Coutinho".

Big money signings rarely leave after just 5-6 months at a new club, though Liverpool do have form in this area. Rafa Benitez dumped Robbie Keane just six months after spending £20m on him, so a deal is not beyond the realm of possibility. Barbosa seems pretty adamant that he's not going anywhere, though, so probably best to scratch this one off the rumours list.


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