West Ham star Gianluca Scamacca claims he wants join Roma after difficult first season in England’ 

West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca has teased a move to Roma after a difficult season at the London Stadium, claiming the Serie A side is his ‘home’. 

The 24-year-old joined the Hammers in a £35million move from Sassuolo last summer but failed to live up to expectations off the back of netting 16 goals in Serie A the previous season. 

But Scamacca ended up making just 11 starts in the Premier League and scored just three times across an injury hit-season where he struggled with problems in his knee and meniscus.

He did chip in with five goals in Europe on the way to the club’s famous Europa Conference League triumph, but is still intent on leaving after his frustrating campaign, as he talked up his admiration for Roma and boss Jose Mourinho.

‘Roma is home for me,’ he told Gazzetta dello Sport. ‘And Totti my idol as a child. And what player in the world wouldn’t dream of being coached by Mourinho? I am convinced that Mou would stimulate me and with him I would improve even more.’

West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca (R) has hinted he wants to leave the club and join Roma after a difficult season under David Moyes (R)

Scamacca said Roma was his home and felt he would thrive under coach Jose Mourinho

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When asked if he missed Italy, he replied: ‘I’ve always had it and I always will have it. But if I had to return to Serie A, it wouldn’t be because I failed in England, that’s not the case. Simply because it would be an unmissable opportunity. 

‘No, it wouldn’t even be a step backwards for my career: our league remains one of the best.’ 

He also commented on whether Roma captain and friend Lorenzo Pellegrini had been ‘courting him’, replying: ‘We talked, he’s a friend: let’s say we joked a bit.’ 

Mail Sport reported last month that Roma were stepping up their interest in the Italian forward after Mourinho identified him as a target. 

Scamacca’s injury issues halted his progress at West Ham after struggling with both the knee problem – which later required surgery in April that ruled out his season – and the meniscus disrupting his momentum.

He admitted his season ‘could have been better’ – but insisted his performances in Europe were crucial in helping West Ham win their first trophy in more than 40 years.

His own team-mate Michail Antonio claimed the forward did not fit Moyes’ style of play

“Maybe people don’t know it, but I played all year with a broken meniscus. Then at a certain point it was impossible to continue and I ended up under the knife. Until March, I played 27 games, scored 8 goals. 

‘It could have been better, but even worse… the Conference [League] was a great joy for everyone: it was our passion from the beginning of the season. I didn’t play in the final against Fiorentina, it’s true, but of course I feel the Conference is mine: I scored 3 goals in the Cup in 7 games.’ 

It comes after his own West Ham team-mate Michail Antonio admitted the player did not suit their style of play under Moyes. 

Speaking on the Filthy Fellas YouTube channel, Antonio said: ‘He’s actually quality. He is a quality player.

‘The problem is, he can’t play the way the gaffer (Moyes) plays. He needs a different type of manager to play his type of football.

‘He needs a manager (where) he can play and have other players come off him and stuff like that. You can see, the ball comes into him and it sticks, he’s tidy.

‘But how David Moyes plays is more like if you’re up front, you’re dealing with scraps and you’ve got to be more of a fighter, and that’s not him.’

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