Roberto Mancini might think Andrea Pinamonti is ‘the future’ of Italian football but, for now, the striker’s present looks rather bleak.
The 21-year-old centre-forward has barely kicked a ball under Antonio Conte at Inter Milan since returning to San Siro following a loan spell at Genoa.
And with Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku drumming up an understanding that would make Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole proud, the situation is unlikely to change any time soon.
Pinamonti has played just 18 minutes of football throughout 2020/21.
It is no secret either that Conte is scouring the market for a more experienced number nine, from Edin Dzeko to Arkadiusz Milik, meaning the Italy U21 international could have a new club by the time the clock strikes midnight on January 31st.
Calciomercato reports that Inter have placed Pinamonti on the transfer list ahead of the winter window.
Young, hungry, technically gifted and with plenty of room for improvement, the 6ft 2ins targetman is in many ways the typical Wolverhampton Wanderers signing – even if he hails from Italy rather than Iberia and has Mino Raiola, not Jorge Mendes, on speed dial.
Wolves first expressed an interest all the way back in January 2018, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, and watched Pinamonti closely during his impressive performances at the U20 World Cup in the summer of 2019 (FCInterNews).
And with £35 million record signing Fabio Silva enduing a sluggish start to life in Old Gold, there is certainly room at Molineux for one more number nine capable of easing the goalscoring burden on Raul Jimenez.
But if it is regular first-team football Pinamonti wants, maybe joining Wolves is not the right idea. As another young Italian number nine will tell you, stealing the limelight from Jimenez is easier said than done.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
