Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, better known by his nickname Gabigol, has not only lauded Roberto Firmino – but suggested he’d love to play alongside him at Liverpool one day.
The Brazilian was speaking ahead of the upcoming Club World Championships, with Liverpool expected to meet Flamengo in the Final in Qatar if everything goes to plan.
‘Firmino is great, I really admire him. He’s been successful for many years in Europe,’ he said, reported in the Mail.
‘He is a powerful forward and he has been great for Brazil. He is an inspiration that I look up to.
‘It would be a pleasure to play with him. Maybe we could team up for Brazil in the future and Liverpool is a team that everyone wants to play for.
‘I like the Premier League very much. It combines technique, strength and speed. I always follow the games from Brazil,’ he added.
‘It really is a place I would like to play. It’s one of the best leagues in the world.
‘Every player dreams of being a champion and winning the Premier League must be indescribable.’
The 23-year-old has been incredible for Flamengo in his homeland since departing Inter Milan, following a failed first spell in Europe.
But it’s clear Gabigol has ambitions to try his luck again – and he’s clearly matured into a lethal forward.
For Flamengo, he has 43 goals in 56 games, which is a jaw-dropping return at any level, but especially for a side who just won the Copa Libertadores.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren will be analysing Gabigol and his team-mates, keen to do the business on the world stage in a few weeks’ time.
Winning the Club World Championships would be fantastic and give us a boost during the hectic December schedule.