Michail Antonio to sign West Ham contract extension, but Hammers warned against signing Gabriel Barbosa who is ‘not a natural fit for David Moyes’ and ‘has problems with his emotional intelligence’

Michail Antonio is set to sign a new contract extension with West Ham United, although they have been seriously warned against signing Gabriel Barbosa.

The former Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest forward has reinvented himself as an out-and-out striker at the London Stadium under David Moyes.

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In August, Antonio officially became the club’s top scorer in Premier League history and has proved to be one of the best bargains the club has made at just £7million.

The claim Antonio is set to sign a two-year contract extension to his original deal to take him to 2025, making him eligible for a testimonial in his final year.

It comes in the wake of West Ham’s striker search was given a necessary jolt amid rumours they are interested in Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa to boost their improbable Champions League quest.

While Antonio has proved he can cut it at the highest level with 44 goal contributions in his last 63 games in all competitions, South American football expert Tim Vickery has warned the Hammers against making a move for the man nicknamed ‘Gabigol.’

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"Well Flamengo will want £30million,” Vickery told Hawskbee and Jacobs. “And what they don’t want to do is what both West Ham and, I’m told, Newcastle want to do as well.

“Which would be a loan deal with an option to buy. He’s been a king in Brazilian football, but no one – not even he – knows whether he can step up.

“He’s 25 already, he had one go already in Europe with Inter Milan and Benfica, and it was an absolute disaster.

“People spoke very badly of him, if he was chocolate he would eat himself, he swanned around like he was Pretty Boy Floyd.

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“He’s used to being spoilt, used to being the main man in Brazilian football and he couldn’t cope with not having that status.

“He’s just had an extended run in that Brazil and never, at any stage, did he look like an international centre-forward. So there are two aspects of risk here.

“One is him as a person, where you just can’t imagine him working with David Moyes. He is king of the castle, he throws strops when he is substituted – he ain’t going to be able to behave like that with David Moyes.

“There’s one Brazilian who he couldn’t rely on who, very talented, but he has already shipped out – Felipe Anderson. Gabriel Barbosa is Felipe Anderson+.

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“So he is not a natural fit for David Moyes, and the other thing is you don’t really know if he can do it. He is talented and he is intelligent.

“He has problems with his emotional intelligence, although he is getting better. He is all left foot and he has never done it at the highest level. When he played Liverpool in that World Club Cup Final a couple of years ago now, Van Dijk just put him in his pocket.

“He’s by no means the only striker Van Dijk has put in his pocket, but what did Van Dijk do? Just put him on his right foot. His right foot is weak, his heading is average at best so there are so many aspects of risk here.”