Gabriel Barbosa, a 30-year-old Brazilian striker, stated in an interview with GE that he would not play for Atlético-MG due to having previously played for their rivals, Cruzeiro. The striker is currently on loan at Santos from Cruzeiro. In the same interview, he also explained that he had rejected an approach from Palmeiras in mid-2024, following the end of his contract with Flamengo, giving his connection to Flamengo as the reason.
Barbosa's contract with Cruzeiro runs until the end of 2028. His agent has mentioned there is interest from the United States and Turkey. The player personally has an ambition to play in the US in the future. For Brazil, Barbosa has 18 caps and 5 goals. In the 2025/2026 season, he has scored 15 goals in 26 league appearances for Santos. Transfermarkt estimates his current market value to be €4.00M. Fenerbahçe is one of the clubs that has been linked with him.
