TBR view: West Ham should make a move for Gabriel Barbosa despite Chelsea interest

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Inter Milan striker Gabriel Barbosa is attracting interest from several clubs. It has been reported that Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has made him his number one January target – but should West Ham compete with their London rivals for his signature?

The Hammers are currently sat 16th in the Premier League and could do with adding some firepower. Club record summer signing Sebastien Haller has struggled for regular form since his £45 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer (Telegraph).

The Frenchman has scored six goals in 21 league appearances and could do with another forward challenging him for the starting spot. Barbosa would certainly provide that and has the goal record to back up his reputation.

The Brazilian striker scored an impressive 25 goals in 29 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A last season and could be open to a new challenge in January. Inter Milan boast an outstanding forward duo in Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, so Barbosa is unlikely to get a chance at the Italian club.

West Ham would certainly be able to offer him more opportunities than Inter and Chelsea would. His physical presence, deadly eye for goal and slight manic attitude draws comparisons with former Premier League striker Diego Costa.

The Spaniard enjoyed an extremely successful spell in England and Barbosa could prove to be just as effective in the English game. Inter’s strong strikeforce could also mean that the 23-year-old will be available on the cheap, so a move could be a no brainer for new boss David Moyes.