Gabriel Barbosa joins Benfica from Inter Milan on season-long loan after Burnley deal falls through on transfer deadline day
Brazilian attacker looked set for stunning Turf Moor switch but deal collapsed when he was refused a work permit
EXCITING Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa has joined Benfica after seeing his move to Burnley collapse at the last minute.
Inter Milan’s talented forward was tipped for a surprise move to Sean Dyche’s Premier League battlers.
But Barbosa, nicknamed ‘Gabigol’, failed to secure a Turf Moor switch after his application for a work permit was turned down.
However, all was not lost for the 21-year-old, with Benfica more than happy to snap him up.
The Portuguese champs were in the market for a new attacker after selling Kostas Mitroglou to Marseille.
Benfica have paid £1.5million to land Barbosa on a season-long loan and will cover around 40 per cent of his wages.
There’s also an option to buy the ace for £23m next summer – £4m less than Inter paid for him a year ago.
And after scoring just once in Italy, Barbosa is hoping for better luck at his new club – and he could even be joined by girlfriend Rafaella Santos, the sister of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar.
He said: “I am very happy to join Benfica, a large club which is the largest in Portugal.
“I hope to help, I’m here to learn and help my teammates with their jobs. I hope to train well because I want to learn a lot.
“I still have to talk to the players but at this club I don’t need presentations. I want to prove who I am on the field.
“I’m as happy as when I came to Inter, which is where I grew up and learned a lot. So now I am at a new stage in my career and I want to help the team win trophies.”