Transfer watch: What would Gabigol bring to Chelsea FC?

Chelsea FC are rumored to be the front-runners for the signature of Santos’ Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa. How would the exuberantly creative striker figure in to Antonio Conte’s formation?

Chelsea’s transfer season has been quite active as they recently signed Leicester City’s N’Golo Kante, joining Michy Batshuayi as Chelsea’s summer signings. The Blues continue to be linked – with various degrees of credibility – with a host of names around the globe. The flashiest name on that list is Brazilian wunderkind Gabigol.

Gabigol is being touted as the next Neymar, hailing from the same Brazilian club as the Barcelona man. His electric performances for Santos have caught the attention of top clubs worldwide, including Juventus, Manchester United and Neymar’s Barcelona. A transfer battle is ensuing for the 19-year old’s signature, and the Blues are leading the rumoured race to make the transfer happen.

Despite reports that Gabigol secured his future with Santos by signing a 5-year contract extension, the Brazilian denies that he committed to staying at Santos. With the expected level of ambiguity and coyness, Gabigol expressed his sadness about leaving in the same breath as his desire to play in Europe.

"Everyone knows my potential and one game is not what will help take me to Europe. I’m very happy here, I played a good game, scored a goal and if it was my last game then it would be very sad. People are talking [about my future] but nothing is agreed. It’s very difficult but gradually we’ll finalise something. – Sport-English"

One of the main reasons so many clubs are pursuing Gabigol is his versatility in attack. He can play on both wings, and as a forward. He is blessed with prodigious pace, and has a cracking left foot with which he scores the majority of his goals.

In the 2015/16 season Gabigol scored 10 goals in his 30 league performances. On top of that he created 29 chances, from which he made 4 assists and 25 key passes. In the 2016/17 Brazilian Serie A, which has now commenced, he has made a tremendous start to the season by scoring 3 times and creating 11 chances in his last 6 appearances.

If Gabigol comes to Chelsea he likely will be playing in a Hazard-esque role on the wings. He is undoubtedly a promising talent, but one question remains: would he get enough playing time with the plethora of attacking talents Chelsea have at their disposal?

Under Mourinho, many of the youth prospects had a tough time breaking into the first team. Antonio Conte, on the other hand, can not only build a team using established members but also integrate youth and help a youngster enhance his capabilities individually.

Willian, Hazard and Pedro comprised the 3-man attacking lineup last season when Chelsea played with the overused 4-2-3-1 formation. With Conte entering the frame, tactics will change not only from last season, but over the course of the season as the players adapt and evolve to his vision.

The unknown end-product of Conte’s first Chelsea team opens up quite exciting prospects on how he could use Gabigol. Since Mourinho’s usage of the 4-3-3 in his title 2004/05 season, the club has not had the talents to employ this formation upon the loss of direct midfielders like Damien Duff and Arjen Robben.

With Gabigol (aka, Barbosa in the LineupBuilder) coming into the mix, a very energetic and direct 4-3-3 (diamond midfield) begins to emerge. With Hazard on the left wing and Barbosa on the right, Chelsea has attackers capable of running with the ball directly at defenders. Their direct runs complement their tendency to cut back and go from the inside, giving Chelsea multiple angles of attack.