£30m man Gianluca Scamacca may have played his last game for West Ham says club president who sold him to Hammers

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Our £30m man Gianluca Scamacca may have played his last game for West Ham says the club president who sold him to the Hammers.

It is fair to say Gianluca Scamacca’s debut season at West Ham has been a massive anti-climax.

There was palpable excitement among Hammers fans when the club ended an 18-month search for a new striker by signing Scamacca from Serie A outfit Sassuolo for an initial £30m – plus £5m in potential add-ons – last summer.

There were flashes of the Italian forward’s quality and finishing power in the opening few months of the season.

But Scamacca and David Moyes’ failure to make the move work thus far has been one of the biggest disappointments of the campaign.

The 6ft 5in Italian has suffered illness and injury this season as West Ham battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Scamacca had found himself an unused substitute in the Premier League for the Hammers since he returned from a knee injury suffered in January.

He lost his place in the Italy starting line-up.

And Moyes publicly criticised the striker’s output in training while being forced to deny there had been a falling out between the pair or that the striker is a ‘bad apple’ when speaking before the international break.

Scamacca has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery at the weekend.

The striker, who changed agents recently, has been linked with a return to Italy this summer with a host of clubs including both Milan sides, Atalanta, Napolo and Juventus all said to be interested.

£30m man Gianluca Scamacca may have played his last game for West Ham says club president who sold him to Hammers

Scamacca sent a message and picture from his hospital bed after his knee operation at the weekend.

In it he declared: “No doubt I’ll come back stronger than before!”

Whether that comeback will be with West Ham remains to be seen. And one key figure has his doubts.

But £30m man Scamacca may have played his last game for West Ham says the club president who sold him to the Hammers.

Sassuolo president Giovanni Carnevali has told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he will not be one bit surprised if the player he sold to West Ham returns to Italy this summer after his failed first season in east London.

Carnevali also suggested Juve and other top Serie A sides are interested while insisting he would be a good fit for them.

“I haven’t spoken to Gianluca (about his plans), but I wouldn’t be surprised if he returned to Italy (this summer),” Carnevali said.

“For Juve or any other Italian top clubs, he would be an opportunity.

“There aren’t many number nines with Scamacca’s characteristics in Serie A.”

Whether West Ham could command anything like a decent fee for Scamacca given he has just had a knee op and against the backdrop of league wide financial difficulties in Serie A remains to be seen.

If Scamacca is to leave West Ham it seems the best we might be able to hope for is a loan with an option or obligation to buy so that he can prove he is over his knee problems.

Most fans would like to see him stay and the team better setup to get provide him with the service he needs.

So perhaps the operation will force the club to persist with the Italian into next season.

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