West Ham United could have a second chance to bring Luca Pellegrini to the Premier League in January as the Italy international struggles for opportunities at Juventus, as reported by Calciomercato.
As Juventus produced their finest performance since the return of Max Allegri last night – Federico Chiesa scoring the only goal of the game in a deserved 1-0 victory over Champions League holders Chelsea – their 22-year-old left-back may have found it a bitter-sweet moment after becoming a £20 million afterthought at the Allianz Stadium.
Pellegrini rejected a number of offers in the summer transfer window – including one from West Ham – in a bid to fight for his place in the Juventus side.
One month later, Pellegrini must be wondering whether the decision he made four weeks ago was the right one.
The former Roma youngster, who moved to Turin as part of a deal that saw Euro 2020 hero Leonardo Spinazzola move in the other direction, has played just 58 minutes of football since Allegri’s return to the Juventus dugout, all during a 2-1 defeat at table-topping Napoli.
And, after being omitted from Juventus’ Champions League roster, Pellegrini had little choice but to watch from the comfort of his own home when Thomas Tuchel’s European champions came to town.
It could be second time lucky for West Ham as Luca Pellegrini struggles at Juventus
Despite his best efforts, Pellegrini remains the club’s third-choice left-back, behind Alex Sandro and the versatile Mattia De Sciglio.
According to Calciomercato, Juventus won’t stand in his way if the Rome-born wideman opts to walk away in the winter window.
It remains to be seen whether West Ham return to the table, however, having been snubbed by Pellegrini a month ago.
It’s not that Pellegrini wasn’t interested in a move to the English capital, he merely wanted an opportunity to prove to Allegri he was worthy of a place in the Juve XI.
Having failed to do that, he may be more receptive to a fresh start elsewhere.
West Ham, meanwhile, have been forced to make do without the injury-prone Arthur Masuaku throughout much of this season. Another bout of fitness problems has left Aaron Cresswell short of competition on the left-hand side.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
