‘Next Neymar’ is available for January loan with Liverpool circling

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Liverpool need offensive reinforcements in January, that much is certain.

Sadio Mane is going to the AFCON and could miss nine games across three competitions in total, while Daniel Sturridge is injury-prone and Coutinho is currently sidelined too. When you consider Danny Ings is out for the season and Divock Origi is only 21, our options at the top end look thin.

Jurgen Klopp has admitted he’s considering buying a forward or a winger and it’ll be mighty interesting to see who he makes his no.1 target.

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Inter Milan’s Gabriel Barbosa, who’s been criminally underused by the Italians, is available for loan, with the Mirror (among others) reporting we’re one of the clubs keen.

The young Brazilian is touted as the next Neymar, although having seen him plenty, he’s stockier and has less flair – so reminds us more of Sergio Aguero.

His agent Wagner Ribeiro says a loan switch this winter is on the cards.

“In Italy, coaches prefer older, more mature players,” Ribeiro told ESPN Brazil. “I thought they could give Gabriel a chance, but nothing of the sort has happened.

“Obviously, he’s now going through a natural maturing process. He grew up in a different culture, football here is faster, but he thought he was coming to Italy to play.”

The problem is, he’d be a sub for Liverpool when everyone’s fit, and it looks like he’s really after a smaller club who’ll guarantee him minutes.

Origi didn’t get a sniff at the start of our campaign, so we can’t see Gabigol earning the sufficient minutes under Jurgen Klopp during the second half of the season either.

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