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West Ham United and Newcastle United want to sign Bologna striker Mattia Destro according to reports from Italy.

Manuel Pellegrini has been linked with a host of strikers amidst the uncertainty surrounding Marko Arnautovic’s future.

Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez is desperate for more firepower to help stave off relegation.

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RONALDO NEEDS TO STOP WHINING.

Arnie wants out?

Hammers star Arnautovic is agitating for a move to China after his agent and brother Danijel told talkSPORT he wants to leave.
West Ham have taken a hardline stance and want at least £50 million for the Austrian.
It comes after Arnautovic was the subject of bids from Chinese duo Shanghai SIPG and Guangzhou Evergrande.
Pellegrini has been linked with big money potential replacements such as Krzysztof Piatek, Andrea Belotti and Maxi Gomez – read full story here.

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Pellegrini and Benitez need strikers for different reasons

But it appears new interest in another Serie A forward, Mattia Destro, is not wholly dependent on Arnautovic leaving. West Ham face competition from the Magpies, though, who are overly reliant on loan forward Salomon Rondon.
According to Bologna-based newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, Destro’s agent is on his way to England for talks with both clubs over a £15 million deal (Football Italia).

“Destro has sent agent Luca Puccinelli out to London for talks with interested Premier League sides,” the report states.

“These include Newcastle and West Ham, although he is also keeping an eye out for offers within Italy.”

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Beware serial flop

But Pellegrini and Benitez should be wary.

Destro has flopped not once, not twice but THREE times in Serie A.

Much was expected of the 27-year-old former Italy international when he started out. Roma paid £13m to sign him from Genoa in 2012, but he failed to establish himself playing just 57 games in three years.

He was given another chance on loan at AC Milan but scored just three goals in 15 games.

Bologna then paid around £7 million to sign Destro on a five-year deal which runs until next summer.

Destro has scored 25 goals in 89 appearances for Bologna. But he has been consigned to a place on the bench this term and has not scored in 10 appearances this season.

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