Inter Milan's busy summer transfer window continued on Tuesday, as the Italian club finalized a transfer for Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa from Santos. Gabigol, who signed a five-year contract with the Nerazzurri, joins fellow summer signings Joao Mario and Antonio Candreva in Inter's reconstruction effort. The Brazilian winger will have plenty to celebrate on the day, with Inter coincidentally making the announcement on his 20th birthday. Inter have a lot of ground to cover to make it back among Europe's elite, but signings like Gabigol's offer optimism that has been in short supply in recent years.
In Gabigol, Inter have another bright young option to throw into the attack. While he featured primarily on the right with Santos, Gabigol can also slot in on the left or play as a center forward. When on the right, Gabigol often prefers to cut in on his preferred left foot where he can pick a pass just as adeptly as he can rip a shot. In 82 appearances in Brazil's top flight, Gabigol collected 24 goals and 12 assists to go along with back-t0-back Sao Paulo state championship titles.
Like a lot of young players, he's not exactly a very impassioned defender. That's not the end of the world, though, as his impact will more reasonably be measured by how he bothers the opposition on offense. How he'll adapt to the rigors of Serie A and life in Italy remains to be seen, but the Brazilian certainly seems prepared. “I'm more than ready to go and play in Europe," Gabigol said. "I'm going to go with my family and friends."
Grade: A
At a reported price of €25 million, Gabigol, who some have dubbed "the next Neymar," checks all the right boxes for Inter. With a freshly polished gold medal from the 2016 Olympics under his belt, Gabigol is poised to take the next step in his career. With the reclamation project underway at Inter, the transfer is right for both the player and the club. Gabigol should find plenty of playing time in Frank de Boer's side, and Inter are likely to get an early return on their reasonable investment.
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.@gabigol joins #Inter on a five-year contract! https://t.co/PXTHZM9MUi ⚫️??? #WelcomeGabigol #FCIM pic.twitter.com/8ogjXmKjQj
— F.C. Internazionale (@Inter_en) August 30, 2016
