West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca has admitted that he is keen to make the move "home" and join Serie A club Roma.
After scoring 16 goals for Sassuolo in 2021-22, Scamacca left his native Italy last summer to sign for the Hammers in a deal rising to £35.5m, but the 24-year-old struggled to make the desired impact at the London Stadium.
Indeed, Scamacca scored just three goals in 11 starts and five substitute outings in the Premier League last season, and his debut campaign was curtailed in March after undergoing knee surgery.
The Italy international did manage to chip in with three goals in the Europa Conference League, though, as David Moyes's side went all the way to win their first European trophy for 58 years, beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final last month.
Scamacca still has four years left on his West Ham contract, but the striker is believed to be seeking a return to Italy and has talked up a possible transfer to Roma to work under Jose Mourinho.
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"Rome is home to me," Scamacca said in an interview for Gazetta dello Sport. "Francesco Totti has been my idol since I was a kid and which player wouldn't dream of being coached by Mourinho? I am convinced he would motivate me and I would improve even more."
Asked if Roma would be his preferred destination should he leave West Ham, Scamacca said: "I've always made decisions with my heart and will continue to do so. You know the colours of my heart, but right now I am a West Ham player and happy here."
Scamacca believes that injuries were a major factor behind his challenging debut campaign with West Ham, adding: "Perhaps people don't know it, but I played all season with a broken meniscus, at some point, it was impossible to continue and I underwent surgery.
"I scored eight goals in 37 games until March. It could have been better, but even worse. The Conference League was our target since the start of the season. I didn't play in the final against Fiorentina, but of course I feel I also won the trophy having scored three goals in seven games.
"If I return to Serie A is not because I've failed in England. Simply, it would be an irrefutable chance. It wouldn't be a step back, our league is one of the best."
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Scamacca, who returned to first-team action for the Hammers in a pre-season friendly win over Boreham Wood on Monday, has admitted that he would not be tempted by a big-money move to Saudi Arabia and would prefer to continue his career in Europe.
"It's still too early for me. Arabia is becoming a power, but now I must remain in Europe and try to write a piece of history," said the Italian.
"I played 45 minutes in a friendly on Monday. It was my first appearance after three months on the sidelines and the meniscus surgery. It was fantastic to return to the pitch and I felt great. I will reach peak fitness by the start of the season.
"If I am fit and I am convinced I will be, I will score 20 goals. I worked hard in Sardinia with double training sessions. I went more to the gym than to the beach."
Roma are on the lookout for a new centre-forward as they are having to cope without Tammy Abraham who is sidelined until the beginning of next year with an ACL injury.
However, Mourinho's side could face competition for Scamacca's signature from Serie A rivals Juventus, who are understood to have identified the Italian as a possible replacement for in-demand striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Oliver Thomas
