Inter Milan may have suffered heartbreak in pursuit of both the Scudetto and the Champions League trophy last season but, with West Ham United missing out, at least the Nerazzurri are set to win one of their battles.
Albeit, the signing of a centre-forward who scored six goals in 30 starts last season will do little to offset the disappointment of seeing the Serie A title and Europe’s biggest prize slip away in successive weekends.
Inter Milan were pipped to the post by Napoli at the end of a sprawling title race. Former West Ham target Scott McTominay joined Diego Maradona in the pantheon of Partenopei greats thanks to his final day heroics.
Eight days later, Paris Saint-Germain ran riot as Inter found themselves on the wrong end of the biggest Champions League/European Cup final defeat since the mid-1950s.
If that Munich debacle was the last act of an ageing, wheezing Nerazzuri squad – their starting XI had an average age of 30, compared to PSG’s 24.9, during that 5-0 drubbing – then 21-year-old Ange-Yoan Bonny would perhaps be a fitting first signing of a new, post-Simon Inzaghi era at the San Siro.
And, according to reports over in Italy, West Ham United can now add the Inter-bound Parma starlet Bonny to an ever-growing list of centre-forward targets with a firm cross through their name.
Ange-Yoan Bonny rejects West Ham United in favour of Inter Milan
West Ham have already lost out to Chelsea for Liam Delap, while Strasbourg hitman Emanuel Emegha could end up at Stamford Bridge too.
Yuri Alberto plans to stay at Corinthians. Jonathan David rejected the Hammers. And others such as Lazio’s Argentina international Taty Castellanos appear too costly for a club with such limited funds.
As for Bonny, FC Inter News reports that another centre-forward with admirers at the London Stadium is now ‘one step away’ from joining the 20-time Serie A champions. Parma value Bonny at £21 million, though a compromise is expected to be reached with Inter offering Sebastiano Esposito as a makeweight.
FC Inter News add that, while West Ham, Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth all made approaches, Bonny ‘did not think twice’ when Inter Milan entered the fray. The France Under-21 forward will now follow in the footsteps of his former Parma boss Cristian Chivu; a Nerazzuri treble winner under Jose Mourinho in 2010 returning to the San Siro to take Inzaghi’s place.
Didier Drogba-like Bonny set for Serie A giants as West Ham wait goes on
Per Foot Italia, Bonny’s imposing, 6ft 2in frame has drawn comparisons with a young Didier Drogba or Romelu Lukaku.
“I discovered a boy who was ahead of his time in some areas,” Sebastien Dubroca, who coached Bonny back home in France with Chateauroux, tells Europa Calcio.
“Technique, his composure in front of goal especially, athleticism in his ability to keep the ball against quality players, as well as personality and character…”
Currently, with Danny Ings and Evan Ferguson departing and talks with Michail Antonio hitting a brick wall, Niclas Fullkrug will be Graham Potter’s only senior striker come the beginning of July.
Hammers News understands that West Ham have not yet accepted defeat in pursuit of Galatasaray’s man-for-all-positions Baris Alper Yilmaz or the aforementioned Emegha, scorer of 14 goals last season for Conference League qualifiers Strasbourg.
However, as long as progress remains at a snail’s pace, the shelves will continue to grow barer by the week.
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