Andrea Pinamonti is ‘struggling’ in Serie A after Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest missed out on a summer move for the £17 million Sassuolo striker, former Neroverdi ace Antonio Floro Flores tells Tuttomercatoweb.
With Gianluca Scamacca yet to really get going at West Ham (well, domestically-speaking anyway), things aren’t exactly going much better for the Italy international’s Mapei Stadium successor.
Big things were expected of Pinamonti when he joined Sassuolo from Inter Milan. So far, however, the rangy targetman has found the target just three times in 15 league matches, with that £17 million price-tag already starting to weigh heavily upon his sloping shoulders.
“They (Pinamonti and fellow forward Agustin Alvarez) are players who have to adapt to the coach’s style. It always takes a little time,” says Floro Flores, backing his 23-year-old compatriot to bounce back from a slow start.
“Pinamonti did very well last year. This season he’s struggling. But he always does a great job (for the team). Sassuolo is a perfect place for to raise a young player.”
Nottingham Forest held talks to sign Andrea Pinamonti before Sassuolo move
According to Corriere dello Sport, Nottingham Forest held talks with Inter Milan over the summer. Pinamonti wanted to stay in Italy, however, and build on the progress he made on loan at Empoli in 2021/22.
Pinamonti scored 13 times in 36 Serie A matches for the Azzurri. All but five of those came from December onwards too, so there is still hope that Pinamonti can belatedly make his mark in Sassuolo’s green-and-white stripes.
“Pinamonti is one who plays more with his back (to goal),” team-mate Davide Frattesi tells Cronache di Spogliatoio; the dynamic attacking midfielder benefitting from the 23-year-old’s impressive link play and positional awareness.
“With Pina you can take the ball more on the run. He is good at keeping his position. This year is more difficult for Andrea. He’s doing a job that other strikers wouldn’t do.
“His effort will pay off because whoever sows reaps.”
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