‘Extraordinary’: Paolo di Canio says reported West Ham target better than Tottenham-linked ace

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Paolo Di Canio believes Edin Dzeko is superior to Tottenham-linked Napoli star Arkadiusz Milik, telling Sky Italia, via AreaNapoli, that the reported West Ham United target is an “extraordinary player”.

Thanks to Alvaro Morata, the chain linking three of Italy’s biggest clubs has just snapped.

Earlier in the week, when Dzeko was expected to join Juventus instead of Morata, Milik had been linked to replace the former Manchester City favourite at Roma.

Everything has changed now, of course, and suddenly the futures of the Bosnian and the Pole are more uncertain than ever.

Then again, with London neighbours Tottenham and West Ham both in need of a new number nine, don’t rule out the prospect of Dzeko and Milik heading to the Premier League before the October deadline.

But, given the choice, Hammers legend Di Canio would chose two-time Premier League champion Dzeko over Napoli’s Coppa Italia-winning contract rebel every day of the week.

“Does Roma benefit by taking Arkadiusz Milik in place of Edin Dzeko? Dzeko is a true ‘eminence’, an extraordinary player. He is a leader for Roma,” says Di Canio, now a pundit after his managerial career failed to take off.

“(Dzeko) has great mobility, imagination. I wouldn’t sell him.”

According to Calciomercato in July, Roma may have no choice but to cash in on their evergreen 34-year-old, with the lack of Champions League football hitting their finances hard.

And West Ham, who have been forced to rely on Michail Antonio up front, could take Dzeko’s £130,000-a-week wages off their hands.

Milik, meanwhile, may be the new centre-forward Jose Mourinho is crying out for, with Spurs willing to pay the £23 million fee Napoli are demanding (Gazzetta).