Ahead of a January transfer move, West Ham United are pushing for the signature of Flamengo strike duo of Gabriel Barbosa and Bruno Henrique.
The Premier League side top scorer this season, Sébastien Haller has scored just five goals this season after failing to make the expected impact since his £45m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer.
West Ham want to provide some extra support for Haller and will look to sign the strikers from the Brazilian side once the transfer window re-opens next month. Also, the club has the joint-worst goal difference outside of the Premier League relegation zone and still hasn’t scored 20 goals this season.
According to 90min, West Ham have identified Barbosa and Henrique as the solution low scoring problem, and scouts were dispatched to watch the pair in action at the Club World Cup where both strikers failed to score at the tournament.
Henrique finished as the top scorer in the Campeonato Carioca as Flamengo claimed their 35th title, while the 28-year-old was also named as the Player of the Year in Brazil. Although he’s older than Gabigol, West Ham believe Henrique will be able to make an immediate impact on their first-team.
The Brazil international was directly involved in 35 goals in just 46 appearances across all competitions last season and also scored Flamengo’s winning goal in the Club World Cup semi-final against Al-Hilal, setting up a clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool.
While Barbosa, who is also known by his nickname Gabigol, has been a long-term transfer target for West Ham.
The 23-year-old is currently on loan at Flamengo after failing to impress at parent club Inter and the Brazil international is expected to complete a permanent move away from Italy next year.
His current loan spell ends on December 31, with Flamengo keen to conclude a permanent deal. His 34 goals and 11 assists make him a wanted man, and West Ham’s interest remains strong.
