Golden Boot-winning striker West Ham held talks with agrees £58m Saudi Arabia transfer..
Gianluca Scamacca lost his spot on the international stage to a striker who burst onto the scene back in 2023. Reportedly, there was a very real chance he’d be replaced by the same man at West Ham United too.
Scamacca is just one of many talented centre-forwards who, for whatever reason, struggled to make an impression in the claret and blue kit.
While David Moyes transformed Michail Antonio into a striker of some repute, the £30 million signing from Sassuolo would suffer the same fate as Sebastien Haller before him. An expensive, big-name acquisition relegated to second-choice behind Moyes’ all-action winger-turned-line-leading cannonball.
Such were his difficulties at the London Stadium, Gianluca Scamacca even lost his Italy spot before bringing a quick and merciful end to his brief stay with West Ham United.
And there were even claims, back in 2023, that Mateo Retegui would overtake Scamacca not only as Italy’s go-to number nine but while stepping into his shoes in Moyes’ dressing room too.
Atalanta v Verona – Serie A
Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui could have replaced Gianluca Scamacca at West Ham United
It was reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, shortly before Scamacca returned to Serie A with Atalanta, that West Ham had held discussions over Mateo Retegui.
An Argentine-born poacher eligible for Italy through his grandfather, Retegui made quite the splash when he forced his way into Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri roster at the beginning of 2023. And, in the process, moving ahead of West Ham’s seldom-seen and soon-to-be-departing number seven in the pecking order.
When the summer arrived, though, it was Genoa who eventually won the race for Retegui’s signature. Il Grifone paid Boca Juniors a bargain fee of £12 million while the Hammers, despite recouping much of their initial investment when Scamacca joined Atalanta, spent the window trying and failing to land a shiny new frontman.
Two years on, West Ham find themselves in a very familiar position.
The aforementioned David Moyes snapped up Thierno Barry at Everton this week. As The Toffees finalised a £27 million deal for the former Villarreal hitman, the Hammers saw another of their potential centre-forward options move out of Graham Potter’s grasp.
Despite the impending sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham are no closer to signing any of the strikers on their radar.
Jonathan David rebuffed West Ham’s advances in favour of Juventus, Emanuel Emegha is expected to join Chelsea alongside Liam Delap, Ange-Yoan Bonny picked Inter Milan, the frequently-linked Yuri Alberto is staying in Brazil, and so on…
As for Retegui, Gianluca Scamacca may finally be free of his long-running rival.
Mohammed Kudus snubbed Saudi Arabia but Retegui is heading to Al Qadsiah FC
Retegui might not have replaced Scamacca at West Ham, but he did join him at Atalanta when the 2024 Europa League winners forked out a cool £24 million to Genoa last year.
An investment Retegui repaid with considerable interest. Because, as the luckless Scamacca spent much of the season stuck on the sidelines with an ACL tear, Retegui would end the 2024/25 campaign with 28 goals, nine assists and the Serie A Golden Boot.
A prize he will not be sticking around to defend, it seems.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Retegui is set to complete a staggering £58 million switch to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Qadsiah FC. He will become teammates with Nahitan Nandez, Koen Casteels and Real Madrid icon Nacho Fernandez, while inheriting the spot vacated by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up top.
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