West Ham United will need to stump up the cash necessary to complete a permanent switch if they want to welcome Gabriel Barbosa to the London Stadium, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
Rob Newman has been drafted in as the Hammers' new head of recruitment since the closure of the summer transfer window and boss David Moyes is looking to bolster his squad by the end of the month.
What's the latest news involving Barbosa?
Sky Sports have revealed that West Ham have held talks to sign Barbosa from Brazilian outfit Flamengo.
The report suggests the Hammers are one of four Premier League clubs to be targeting the striker but Barbosa is keen on a move to the London Stadium after being impressed with the job Moyes is doing.
The 25-year-old, who is nicknamed Gabigol, is prolific in front of goal and has scored 129 goals in 264 club appearances during his career.
Barbosa has also won 17 international caps for Brazil, while he has left his homeland for Europe before thanks to counting Inter Milan and Benfica among his former employers.
The 2016 Olympic gold medallist has won some of South America's biggest prizes during his time on Flamengo's books and is valued at £23.4million by Transfermarkt.
But, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have failed with the offer of an 18-month loan deal as Flamengo are not interested in accepting a temporary switch.
What has Dean Jones said about Barbosa?
Jones has claimed that West Ham will only succeed in their pursuit of Barbosa if they offer a permanent switch to the Premier League.
The transfer insider believes a loan move is out of the question after Newcastle United had also tried their luck.
Jones told GIVEMESPORT: "If West Ham want to get involved in the discussion, it will need to be a permanent transfer.
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"When Newcastle checked out whether a loan deal was possible, that wasn't the case."
How did Barbosa perform in 2021?
With Flamengo's domestic campaign coming to an end in October, Barbosa is currently preparing for a fresh season in Brazil.
But he was in fine form in 2021, scoring 29 goals and grabbing a further nine assists in 43 outings for his current employers.
Barbosa even recorded two hat-tricks but it was not enough to clinch the Brazilian top flight title as Flamengo were 13 points off the pace.
He got his hands on the Supercopa do Brasil last April but his goal proved not to be enough in the Copa Libertadores final as Palmeiras consigned Barbosa and his team-mates to an extra-time defeat.
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