Brazil forward Gabriel Barbosa hugs teammate Neymar during a recent Olympic game. (Photo : Getty Images)
Premier League club Leicester City had reportedly submitted a £23 million offer for Santos striker Gabriel Barbosa with a few weeks left before the English summer transfer window closes.
The 19-year-old Brazil international, also known as Gabigol or simply Gabriel, is making his debut for his home country in the ongoing Rio Summer Olympics as a member of head coach Rogério Micale's starting front three alongside Barcelona superstar Neymar and Palmeiras' Gabriel Jesus.
The Guardian reported that Gabriel's "future is likely to be decided after the Games" as his mother club has yet to respond to the reigning Premier League champions. Santos is perhaps waiting for the player to come back home before finalizing a decision.
The report mentioned, though, that the Foxes are hoping "to receive an answer before the tournament ends" on August 20 as the English top flight side is set to begin its new domestic season on Saturday against newly-promoted team Hull City.
Italian Serie A clubs Juventus and Inter Milan have reportedly made their own bids as well, according to the article, but the two squad's offers were lower than Leicester's £23 million proposal.
Brazil is the favorite to win the gold medal in men's football in the Olympics this year, but the Seleção is currently struggling. They had recently crushed Denmark, 4-0, in the final round of the group stage after being blanked in their first two matches to top Group A and advance in the quarterfinals.
"Inter's is the third official offer that Santos have received for Gabigol. For now we want to leave Gabriel in peace," the player's agent, Wagner Ribeiro, said in a recent interview. "When the Olympics finish - with the gold medal, God willing - we will sit round the table and resolve his future."
"We are calm. When the Olympics finish I will sit down with Gabigol and his family and decide his future," the agent added.
Caught Offside noted that with "the level of interest" for the São Paulo, Brazil native high this summer, it looks like Gabriel will certainly end up with a team from one of the European top flights early in the coming term.
If the Foxes can wait for Gabigol to finish his Olympic quest this summer, then head coach Claudio Ranieri is set to have "an abundance of attacking talent" next season with strikers Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki already secured for the long term.
