Gianluca Scamacca has been in excellent Serie A form since leaving Premier League outfit West Ham United with current employers Atalanta convinced of the striker’s ‘potential’.
With Ciro Immobile yet to truly convince on the international stage, and with Andrea Belotti underwhelming at Roma, the Italy number nine shirt is very much up for grabs ahead of next summer’s European Championships. And Gianluca Scamacca is performing like a man determined to seize such an opportunity with both hands.
The former AC Milan and Juventus target has four goals in four Serie A starts since bringing an end to that disappointing spell at West Ham United. He scored two and set up the other in last week’s 3-0 thumping of Empoli.
West Ham United sold Gianluca Scamacca
Scamacca certainly didn’t come cheap. At £27 million, he is La Dea’s second most expensive signing of all time.
But, as far as CEO Luca Percassi is concerned, the former Hammers benchwarmer is worth every penny.
“Gasperini pays particular attention to the front line. We share this thought, we strongly believed in and wanted Scamacca because we were certain of bringing back to Italy a striker with great potential. And, for this reason, we invested a lot to buy him,” Percassi, the son of club president Antonio, tells Tuttosport.
“He and the other new arrivals will help us. It is a source of great pride, we think we have very interesting forwards.”
Back in form in Serie A
Scamacca’s departure, after just one injury-hit season at the London Stadium, has left David Moyes short of centre-forwards. Danny Ings and the Mesozoic Michail Antonio have struggled to pose anything resembling a goal threat of late, meaning West Ham are likely to be in the market for a new number nine yet again in 2024.
Karim Konate of Red Bull Salzburg, Adam Hlozek of Bayer Leverkusen, Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart and AZ Alkmaar talisman Vangelis Pavlidis have all been linked, but can they snap the ‘striker curse’ which claimed the reputation of Scamacca and countless other West Ham forwards?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
