Gianluca Scamacca looks miserable as image emerges amid West Ham United transfer speculation
West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca has been linked with a move away from the club this summer and he does not seem too happy about reporting for pre-season.
Posting on Instagram, the former Sassuolo man did not look thrilled as he made his return to London after holidaying abroad amid speculation that he wants to complete a move back to Serie A.
While AC Milan have registered interest in the Italy international, Roma look the more likely destination for the wantaway forward [Calcio Mercato].
It is fair to say that Scamacca’s transfer to West Ham has not gone to plan for all parties involved. The Italian has been criticised throughout the season after such excitement about his announcement.
But the Premier League can be a tough league to come to terms with. Injuries also did not help him as they kept him from contributing to the club’s victorious Europa Conference League victory that may have helped him curry favour with West Ham fans and establish himself in the team, but alas.
Even his own teammates became critical of the 24-year-old. Fellow forward Michail Antonio’s appearance on the Filthy Fellas podcast caused a stir when the Jamaica international discussed Scamacca and his relationship with manager David Moyes.
Antonio said: “He is a quality player. The problem is, he can’t play the way the gaffer plays. He needs a different type of manager to play his type of football.
“He needs a manager he can play and have other players come off him and stuff like that. You can see, the ball comes into him and it sticks, he’s tidy.
“But how Moyes plays is more like if you’re upfront, you’re dealing with scraps and you’ve got to be more of a fighter, and that’s not him.”
While sprinkled with compliments, Antonio’s feelings about the striker were clear, and perhaps shared by much of the London Stadium faithful.
There is a great deal of truth in Antonio’s comments too. Scamacca’s style and play are perhaps unworkable at West Ham while David Moyes is in the dugout. Unsurprisingly, the man who led the club to a European trophy looks set to stay at the club despite the threat of the sack [The Guardian].
Scamacca is likely to become a story of what may have been for West Ham fans. With such promise and potential, he was unable to catch alight while seemingly being unwilling to make it work now.
While he did have some nice highlights at the club, including a silky flicked finish in Europe against Viborg FF and a clever flicked-up volley from outside the box against Wolves in the Premier League.
But many would back him to rediscover his prowess back in Italy, and perhaps Jose Mourinho could get the best out of him.
Perhaps then he’ll crack a smile.