Milan enter striker race

Milan were keen on securing Thuram, who scored 13 Bundesliga goals during the last campaign. But now they may have to watch him play for their fierce city rivals.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Milan will target our own Scamacca and Atletico Madrid’s Alvaro Morata.

Scamacca has struggled in England following his big-money transfer to the Premier League last summer. The Hammers will consider a sale, but most definitely will not consider a loan. Both Roma and Juventus are thought to have presented West Ham with derisory loan offers.

Scamacca managed only eight goals in 27 appearances. I personally have a lot of sympathy for a player who was clearly unsuited to the tactics utilised by David Moyes. Whoever it was at the club who sanctioned the transfer is hopefully not involved in spending the Declan Rice bounty.

The player is believed to be homesick, and resigned to the fact that he’ll have to leave. His stock remains high in his home country and I’d expect him to repair his reputation quickly.

I’m not quite so confident that West Ham will be able to recoup the majority of the £35m outlay though. If we can anything more than £20m spread over a number of years I’ll be very surprised.