West Ham United

West Ham United

Premier League • England

Gianluca Scamacca: West Ham striker told by Roberto Mancini of key Premier League aspect he must adapt to

Gianluca Scamacca after a West Ham match

Gianluca Scamacca will take time to adapt to the Premier League but can become a better player with West Ham United, according to Roberto Mancini.

Ending the long wait for a striker signing at the London Stadium, Scamacca joined West Ham from Sassuolo in the summer. He should be an important member of David Moyes’ squad, providing competition for Michail Antonio up front.

For now, Scamacca is yet to score in the Premier League. But his form has not been bad enough for him to miss out on selection for the Italian national team.

Indeed, the 23-year-old has contributed three goals from four appearances in the Europa Conference League for West Ham. And it is worth remembering that it is his first ever involvement in a UEFA competition.

Therefore, it seems like only a matter of time before he breaks his Premier League duck. After all, he has only started one match in England’s top flight so far. As the gametime increases, so should his productivity and output.

However, his international manager Mancini knows Scamacca may have to show some patience in the Premier League.

Mancini said: “I spoke to Scamacca. He went to a difficult league. I think it will take him some time to adapt.

“It takes some time to become familiar with the pace of the Premier League. But it is a choice that can help him improve.”

Mancini himself knows all about the Premier League, having managed Manchester City from 2009 to 2013. During that time, he won them their first league title since the 1960s and also placed FA Cup and Community Shield medals in his cabinet.

West Ham have a different type of ambition, but will be aiming to at least improve upon their form from the first few weeks of the Premier League season. After qualifying for Europe for two consecutive seasons, they have started the current campaign with just one win from seven games domestically.

Scamacca finding goalscoring touch would boost West Ham fortunes

Players like Scamacca will need to step up over time in order to get West Ham back towards the territory they have been competing at during Moyes’ second spell in charge.

During the international break, Scamacca’s Italy will be up against England and Hungary. After that, his next chance to open his Premier League account for West Ham will be on October 1, when they host Wolves.

West Ham’s top scorer last season was Jarrod Bowen with 18 in all competitions, including 12 in the Premier League. Antonio was their only other player to reach double figures in the top flight. Although, Said Benrahma managed to do so across all competitions.

If Scamacca can become another reliable source of goals for them, it will be useful. During his last season as a Sassuolo player, he managed to score 16 goals from 36 Serie A appearances.

After investing relatively heavily in his signature, West Ham will be hoping to get a similar return from him eventually. His contract with them will last until 2027, with the option of a further year.

Hence, there is a lot of time ahead – which, as Mancini has noted, might be needed – for Scamacca to prove himself in the Premier League.

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