West Ham United are considering an exchange deal involving Gianluca Scamacca and AC Milan star Charles De Ketelaere.
According to Calciomercatoweb, Premier League side West Ham United are considering a part-exchange deal that will see them land AC Milan star Charles De Ketelaere while Italian star Gianluca Scamacca goes the other way.
The Belgian international is one of the best young players in Europe and made a much-publicised move to San Siro from Club Brugge last summer. Rather than taking his game to another level, De Ketelaere has struggled to impress and is far from a first-XI star for Stefano Pioli.
The youngster has made 35 appearances for the Rossoneri all season. But it has amounted to a mere 1136 minutes on the field. A return of just one assist has not helped either. Primarily an attacking midfielder, he has been more of a miss than a hit at the San Siro.
Milan are not keen to see the player’s stock crash and are seeking to recoup as much they can of his €35 transfer fee from last summer. West Ham are keen on the 22-year-old’s services and appear willing to offer striker Gianluca Scamacca in part-exchange.
The Italian striker swapped Sassuolo for West Ham in the summer in a €36 million deal and has struggled in David Moyes’s setup. With just eight goals from 27 appearances, Scamacca has been underwhelming at best. A return to the Serie A, where he thrived, could help rekindle his flagging career.
A versatile player, De Ketelaere can play centrally or out on the right. He possesses an excellent passing range and has the vision to thrive as a playmaker. Deploying him as a number 10 is an intriguing prospect for the Hammers.
While not a direct replacement, the Belgian could help the Hammers replace Declan Rice. Lucas Paqueta could drop back into central midfield, vacating the number 10 role for De Ketelaere. While it is debatable if the 22-year-old can thrive in the physically demanding English top flight, his high ceiling is something worth taking a risk on.
The Rossoneri could do with another striker next summer. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Oliver Giroud are not getting any younger. Divock Origi has also flattered to deceive and could be on his way out amid interest from Aston Villa next summer.
Pioli has options who can play De Ketelaere’s role should Milan decide to sell the Belgian. They are seeking to retain Real Madrid loanee Brahim Diaz, a player who can perform De Ketelaere’s role. Swapping the Belgian for Scamacca is certainly a win-win for all parties.
