West Ham United transfer news: Gianluca Scamacca exit ‘expected’ as David Moyes decision made

Gianluca Scamacca is now “expected” to leave West Ham this summer and make a return to Italy after just one season, according to The Times.

The striker arrived from Sassuolo in a £35.5million deal a year ago but only managed to score three times in the Premier League, from a total of eight strikes in all competitions.

He has been linked to a move back to Serie A for months amid struggles at the London Stadium, where his season was ended prematurely by a knee injury, as it is felt he doesn’t fit David Moyes’ playing style.

With the Scot now set to stay on as manager after guiding the Hammers to the Europa Conference League trophy, the knock-on effect is tipped to send Scamacca out this summer.

Inevitable

It looks like exactly the fate that West Ham fans would have feared upon the signing of the big-money striker is set to come true.

Barring a rejuvenation in Italy that brings him back to the London Stadium with a new lease of life after a season away the 24-year-old looks set to join Sebastien Haller as high-priced front men who never really fit with the Irons.

The club now has to decide whether they see a long-term future for the Italy international, in which case a loan would be feasible, or whether to cut ties as soon as possible and seek as much as they can with a direct sale.

At his age, and with his reputation, it would certainly be disappointing to see the curtain come down on his West Ham career so soon, but if Moyes is due to remain for the long haul it seems unlikely Scamacca would suddenly break out in the manager’s system.

If he is to be absent for the new season, either temporarily or permanently, the Hammers are going to need to break their habit of missing on striker signings during this window.

Michail Antonio has increasingly been tipped to leave himself, so unless the trophy win has changed his perspective Moyes is going to need a lot more available to him than just Danny Ings.

Having presumably learned the lessons of the miserable Premier League season, the Scot and the recruitment department need to identify a goalscorer who specifically suits Moyes’ game plan, and then be decisive in the market if the side isn’t going to be left short up top.