By George Overhill

9th Mar, 2023 | 4:10pm

Gianluca Scamacca gathers dust at West Ham United, wants Italy return as expensive loan escape to Inter possibility emerges

Gianluca Scamacca wants to return to Italy and could be offered an expensive loan escape from West Ham, according to la Gazzetta dello Sport.

Inter are currently involved in a contract stalemate with former Manchester City and Roma striker Edin Dzeko, and are deemed likely to turn to the frustrated Hammers man if no resolution can be reached soon.

Scamacca was a target for Inter before he made his £35.5million move to the London Stadium in the summer, where he has scored seven goals in all competitions but only twice in the Premier League.

After returning from injury he has sat on the bench as an unused substitute for the past three top flight matches, where he is considered to be gathering “dust” according to la Gazzetta.

The 24-year-old reportedly wants to get the attention of national team boss Roberto Mancini and Inter could now be looking at “aiming for an expensive loan and taking advantage of the player’s desire to return to Italy.”

Not worked out?

Scamacca is hardly the only big-ticket arrival who hasn’t panned out at West Ham this year, or for that matter any of the signings or indeed established key players.

With The Guardian reporting on 6 March that more of the Irons dressing room are becoming increasingly unhappy with David Moyes and his tactics it isn’t difficult to join the dots between the situation in matches and the increasing noise around an exit for the big-money striker.

He wouldn’t be the first expensive signing who hasn’t hit the expected heights in East London, with names such as Sebastien Haller and Felipe Anderson coming to mind.

But when club-record Lucas Paqueta also hasn’t this year, and the likes of Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen appear to have regressed from the levels they were at last season, it is difficult to pin the blame on any one player.

It seems like an expensive folly to shell out millions on expansive signings that the fanbase, and indeed Rice, were hoping for and then refuse to consider a change when the manager proves to be the wrong man to get a tune out of them.

If Moyes is to stay, which talkSPORT’s Jim White has reported on Thursday (9 March) is likely now even if the club are relegated, then an expensive loan exit for Scamacca sounds far more likely than if there was to be a change of direction in the dug-out.

Either the manager changes his ways, the club change the manager, or they re-stock the squad again. The first option is certainly the cheapest but Moyes is currently struggling to achieve it.