Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jacob Steinberg and Ed Aarons

West Ham agree £30.5m fee with Sassuolo for Gianluca Scamacca

Gianluca Scamacca in action for Italy during their Nations League match against England at Molineux in June
Gianluca Scamacca in action for Italy during their Nations League match against England at Molineux in June. Photograph: Andrew Yates/EPA

West Ham are close to signing Gianluca Scamacca after agreeing a £30.5m fee with Sassuolo for the Italy striker.

David Moyes has wanted to bring in a striker to compete with Michail Antonio for most of the summer. Scamacca scored 16 goals in 36 Serie A appearances for Sassuolo last season and has seven caps for his country. He now appears to be on his way to east London, albeit personal terms still need to be agreed between club and player.

West Ham remain in talks with Chelsea over Armando Broja and it remains to be seen whether or not they continue pursing the 20-year-old, who scored nine goals while on loan at Southampton last season, should a deal for Scamacca be finalised. The £30.5m offer for the 23-year-old includes €7m in add-ons.

West Ham have also moved on from the disappointment of missing out on Jesse Lingard by submitting a bid for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic.

Lingard snubbed West Ham by joining Nottingham Forest on a free transfer on Thursday, forcing Moyes to look elsewhere for additions in attacking midfield.

Moyes, who is considering a move for the Leicester left-back Luke Thomas, is keen to sign a left-sided midfielder and has set his sights on Kostic. The Serbia international, who helped Eintracht win the Europa League last season, can play as a left winger and left wing-back.

The 29-year-old, whose deal runs out next year, has previously been linked with Juventus and is unsure if he wants to move to England. Eintracht could demand €20m (£17m) for Kostic, whose contract expires next year. Moyes had a close look at him when Eintracht beat West Ham in the Europa League semi-finals.

West Ham are also keeping a close eye on Blackburn’s Ben Brereton Díaz, who can play on the left wing and as a central striker. The Chile international impressed in the Championship last season.

  • Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhones or the Google Play store on Android phones by searching for 'The Guardian'.
  • If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
  • In the Guardian app, tap the yellow button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
  • Turn on sport notifications.

Along with trying to sign an attacking player on the left, West Ham are keen to bring in a full-back to compete with Aaron Cresswell. One of their targets, Hoffenheim’s David Raum, is expected to join RB Leipzig.

Another name on the list is Thomas, who has impressed since breaking into Leicester’s first team two years ago. The 21-year-old left-back could be available if Leicester, who need to sell before signing anyone, receive a suitable offer.

West Ham are also trying to bolster their midfield by signing Amadou Onana from Lille. They have made two bids for Onana.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.