Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa might be heading for the exit door at Inter Milan in the upcoming transfer window, the player’s agent Wagner Ribeiro has revealed.
The 20-year-old has been frustrated at the alarming lack of chances he has been given this season, making just a single appearance so far for the Italian club. Despite only having joined the Serie A club in the summer in a £24.9 million deal from Santos, he has failed to convince Inter boss Stefan Pioli that he is capable of breaking into the first team, and is set to look for an exit route out of the club once the transfer window reopens in January.
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Speaking to Radio Bandeirantes, Ribiero admitted that his client is “not happy” and could leave the club next month, “Gabriel is not happy at the moment. It's not about dressing-room issues with his team-mates. The problem is that he's never been given a chance to get on the pitch. We want the situation to be resolved in January. [Former coach] Frank de Boer said that there was no problem with Gabriel but, even now, Pioli, isn't giving the boy a chance,” said the young Brazilian’s agent
“If you don't get onto the pitch when your team is three goals down, like at Napoli [last Friday], when do you play?”
“Gabigol” was part of the Brazil team that won gold at the Rio Olympics in the summer, and missed out on a proper pre-season with his new club.
Earlier in September, Inter Milan’s sporting director Piero Ausilio admitted that it would take Gabriel a bit of time to get used to the football being played in the Serie A as well as his new surroundings following his summer switch from Brazil.
“It's possible that he'll return to Brazil in 2017, although that would be hard for him as it would be a step backwards, a defeat.
“There's also the question of the non-EU slot at Inter to consider - if he goes out on loan then he'll lose that place that he took when they bought him. That's why it's easier to move on loan to another Italian club.”
Gabriel had been dubbed “the new Neymar” for his style of play and has drawn a lot of interest from several top clubs around Europe due to his ability on the ball. A striker who is also capable of playing on the wings, he will not be short of options should he decide to leave Inter Milan.
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