Gianluca Scamacca named in West Ham squad to face Boreham Wood despite transfer rumours
Gianluca Scamacca is in the West Ham squad for their first pre-season friendly despite transfer rumours linking him to a move, as the club face Boreham Wood, according to the Evening Standard.
Scamacca has been heavily linked to a move away from West Ham this summer after an injury-hit first season in East London, with interest in the striker coming from Jose Mourinho’s Roma and Champions League semi-finalists AC Milan.
The striker’s inclusion in the squad for tonight’s pre-season friendly is not a sign that he will definitely stay this summer, but definitely, one that a deal is not as close as has been rumoured.
West Ham are sticking to their price tag for Scamacca this summer as they are determined to make back some of the £30.8million they paid for him a year ago [TuttoSport, 30 June].
As long as he’s still at the club, he should be involved
There is no reason Scamacca shouldn’t be in the Hammers’ squad for the pre-season fixtures. As long as he’s still at the club, he should still be involved. After all, he may well remain a West Ham player next season.
As much as it appears his desire to return to Italy, and the desire of clubs there to bring him home, he does remain a West Ham player until the club get the fee they are demanding for him – and there is no guarantee that will even happen given the financial state of most Italian clubs.
If the club are given a reason to doubt the player’s commitment then perhaps he will be left out, but he has been in the gym and taking part in the Hammers’ pre-season preparations, with no move close to materialising as of yet.
Should Scamacca remain at the London Stadium next season, everyone will be hoping he can enjoy a better season than the last, where he made just 16 league appearances, scoring three goals.
In other West Ham news, a player is set to sign official forms on Friday to end his West Ham stint.