West Ham are closing in on the signing of Gianluca Scamacca, because the Hammers’ hunt for a brand new centre-forward seems to be heading in the direction of its conclusion.
Scamacca broke into the Italy facet final season after a formidable marketing campaign at Sassuolo, with the 23-year-old having scored 16 league objectives to complete because the second-highest scoring Italian in Serie A.
Italians have had a blended file in England through the Premier League period, however West Ham will hope their newest signing can show one of many extra profitable imports.
Forward of Scamacca’s signing, we have a look at 5 of the very best Italian forwards in Premier League historical past.
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Fabrizio Ravanelli
The prospect of Middlesbrough signing the main goalscorer from the reigning European champions might sound the stuff of fantasy proper now, however again within the nineties it was a practical prospect for an more and more rich and cosmopolitan Premier League.
Together with his Champions League winners’ medal nonetheless draped round his neck, Fabrizio Ravanelli departed Juventus to signal for the North East outfit for a then-club file £7m payment in 1996.
Turning into the highest-paid participant within the Premier League within the course of, the ‘White Feather’ started with a bang and marked his debut with a hat-trick in an exhilarating 3-3 draw with Liverpool on the Riverside Stadium.
Ravanelli’s spell with the membership lasted only a single season, nevertheless it was an unforgettable marketing campaign of highs and lows each on and off the pitch.
He scored 31 objectives in simply 48 appearances throughout all competitions as Middlesbrough reached each home cup finals, however the membership’s league kind was disappointing and resulted in relegation – owed partly to a factors deduction acquired for suspending a fixture towards Blackburn Rovers.
Ravanelli departed following the membership’s drop into the second tier and signed for Marseille, earlier than returning to England with Derby County in 2001. Nevertheless, his 11 objectives weren’t sufficient to save lots of the Rams as he suffered a second relegation from the Premier League.
90s Hitmen: Fabrizio Ravanelli – The White Feather
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli was one other main title to depart Juventus for the Premier League in 1996, leaving the Champions League winners to signal for Chelsea.
Ruud Gullit’s appointment as supervisor in west London had made Chelsea a sexy vacation spot, with Vialli main a continental revolution at Stamford Bridge.
Regardless of a fall-out with the supervisor, his first season noticed Vialli rating 11 objectives as Chelsea received the FA Cup to finish the membership’s 26-year await a serious trophy.
Gianluca Vialli grew to become a 🔵, #OnThisDay 25 years in the past
He made a huge impact as a @ChelseaFC participant and supervisor pic.twitter.com/oiymVKSdM2
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 24, 2021
Vialli continued to attain objectives in 1997/98 – together with a four-goal haul towards Barnsley – regardless of struggling for an automated position, earlier than changing Gullit on the helm to turn out to be player-manager at Stamford Bridge.
He received the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup throughout his opening months in cost, earlier than following these successes with a 1–0 victory over Champions League winners Actual Madrid within the UEFA Tremendous Cup.
Vialli scored 40 objectives in 88 appearances for Chelsea throughout his three seasons, earlier than retiring on the finish of the 1998/99 marketing campaign to focus on administration.
Gianluca Vialli’s finest objectives for Chelsea
Gianfranco Zola
Among the many hottest gamers in Chelsea’s historical past, Gianfranco Zola made a rare impression upon his arrival into the Premier League.
After success with Napoli and Parma, he moved to west London in a £4.5m deal in November 1996 and wasted little time in changing into a fan favorite.
Zola grew to become the primary Chelsea participant to win the FWA Footballer of the Yr and the primary ever to have carried out so with out enjoying a full season in English soccer, following a marketing campaign by which he scored 12 objectives to hit the bottom working.
The diminutive Italian captured audiences together with his field of methods and repertoire of spectacular objectives, with particular efforts equivalent to a back-heeled flick towards Norwich and solo stunner towards Manchester United amongst his most memorable.
Regardless of arriving aged 30, he spent seven seasons with Chelsea and scored 80 objectives in 312 appearances for the membership. His closing season noticed Zola rating 16 objectives to fireplace the Blues into the Champions League, paving the way in which for Roman Abramovich’s transformative takeover.
Upon his exit in 2003, he polled greater than 60% of the votes to be topped as Chelsea’s biggest ever participant.
Gianfranco Zola: The little genius who dropped jaws and opened minds
Paolo Di Canio
West Ham aren’t any strangers to an Italian icon and can hope Scamacca could make an identical impression to a compatriot who stays revered within the East Finish of London.
Paolo Di Canio’s profession in English soccer was a mixture of controversy and charming moments, with the fiery ahead scoring 66 objectives throughout spells with Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham and Charlton.
Di Canio signed for the previous from Celtic and completed because the Owls’ main scorer throughout his debut marketing campaign with the membership, however a second of insanity by which the ahead pushed referee Paul Alcock to the bottom after being despatched off – an incident which resulted in an 11-game ban – introduced a untimely finish to his time at Hillsborough.
✂️ Paolo Di Canio surprised Wimbledon with this sensational scissor kick #OnThisDay in 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/bkzg3e263B
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 26, 2022
West Ham gambled on his maverick abilities and have been rewarded with 4 seasons of stellar service, as Di Canio delighted crowds within the capital.
Di Canio’s affect helped West Ham to a Premier League excessive league place of fifth in 1999/2000, whereas he scored one of many division’s biggest ever objectives with a spectacular scissor-kick towards Wimbledon in March 2000.
He scored 51 objectives in 144 appearances for the Hammers earlier than spending a single season at Charlton, following West Ham’s relegation in 2002/03.
Golazo Retailers: The mad genius, Paolo Di Canio
Mario Balotelli
Ah, Mad Mario.
Incredible and irritating in equal measure, Balotelli stays one of many Premier League’s nice enigmas.
Manchester Metropolis secured the signing of Balotelli from Inter Milan in August 2020, with Roberto Mancini reuniting with the proficient however usually troubled ahead within the Premier League.
Balotelli’s spell in England was certainly one of fireworks on and off the pitch, as he blended moments of insanity with magic in Manchester.
He scored 30 objectives in 80 appearances throughout all competitions, together with his best season coming through the 2011/12 marketing campaign as Metropolis received the Premier League title for the primary time.
He scored twice within the 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United at Outdated Trafford and supplied the help for Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time winner towards QPR to seal the title on the ultimate day of the season.
After falling out of favour he returned to Italy with AC Milan, the place the best type of his profession persuaded Liverpool to carry Balotelli again to the Premier League.
His time on Merseyside proved an enormous disappointment nevertheless, as Brendan Rodgers’ gamble on Balotelli backfired. The ahead scored only one league objective for the Reds, earlier than embarking on a nomadic profession post-Anfield.
At the moment in Turkish soccer and having fun with a renaissance with Adana Demirspor, the baffling Balotelli continues to be able to outrageous moments equivalent to this.
Over in Turkey, Mario Balotelli is having fun with himself. The rabona end ffs 😭 pic.twitter.com/JixJD7jYZV
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) May 22, 2022
Not all his outrageous moments have been optimistic nevertheless, with few forgetting this unimaginable second in a pre-season sport towards LA Galaxy.
Often good, however by no means boring.
It has been 11 years since Mario Balotelli did this towards LA Galaxy after which received instantly substituted 😳
(by way of @MLS) pic.twitter.com/EGT6JJnxAM
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 25, 2022
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