LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 28: David Moyes, Manager of West Ham United, applauds the fans after the team's defeat during the Premier League match between Leicester City and West Ham United at The King Power Stadium on May 28, 2023 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
West Ham: M’Bala Nzola could be Scamacca 2.0
The 26-year-old would be taking an identical route to the London Stadium to Scamacca…
West Ham United are reportedly interested in Spezia Calcio forward M’Bala Nzola as David Moyes continues his search for summer reinforcements.
The Irons are yet to make a signing this transfer window despite having the resources to spend after sanctioning Declan Rice’s £105m move to Arsenal.
There’s a sense of urgency surrounding the London Stadium, with The Athletic reporting that the club are advertising seven positions for replenishment this window.
Could West Ham sign M’Bala Nzola?
As reported in Italy, the Irons are eyeing a move for Nzola, who is also wanted by Roma.
The report claims that the Angolan forward could be the Londoners’ replacement for Gianluca Scamacca, who after one year could return to his homeland.
It’s noted that West Ham have an ‘excellent’ relationship with the striker’s agents, whom he shares with Angelo Ogbonna, with his price tag said to be in the region of €15m (£13m).
How good is M’Bala Nzola?
Netting 13 goals in Serie A last season wasn’t enough to secure Spezia’s survival in the Italian top-tier, as the club suffered demotion following a 17th-place finish and defeat in the play-off.
Scoring in a side lacking showbiz wasn’t an unfamiliar feat for Nzola, who has put the ball in the net 26 times in 77 league appearances for Spezia in Serie A, seeing him lauded as “underrated” by members of the media.
While the 26-year-old has been a reliable source for goals for his side throughout their struggles with form, there remains a question surrounding whether the striker would be a good fit for West Ham.
The move for the forward, who was once hailed as “very strong” by former Spezia general director Guido Angelozzi, is believed to be in relation to the future of Scamacca, who arrived in east London slast summer from Sassuolo.
Despite firing in Serie A, the 24-year-old was unable to transfer his talents to the London Stadium under Moyes’ instructions, leaving question marks over Nzola’s potential move.
Offloading one player from the club for failing to adapt after a high-scoring season in Italy for an individual with an identical background is a dubious move, particularly when other targets could be secured instead.
Prior to his move to West Ham, Scamacca netted 16 goals in 36 appearances for Sassuolo, where he was described as being “on fire” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
The same cannot be said about his debut Premier League campaign, in which he scored on three occasions in 16 appearances in the league, falling out of favour in Moyes’ set-up.
In the instance of Nzola, the outcome could be identical to that of the former Roma academy star, who would arrive from Serie A with the hope to integrate into the side.
Prior to Spezia’s promotion from Serie B in 2020, the Angolan had spent the majority of his career playing below the top-tier, raising a red flag over his suitability with the English first division proving to be quite the jump from Serie A for some.
Every talent is different of course, and the Premier League has seen some outstanding talent arrive from the Italian top-tier over the years, however, for the Irons in this climate, the room for error is minimal on the back of a relegation-threatened campaign.
