West Ham United have been told by Emiliano Leva that they have a 'top-tier' gem in Gianluca Scamacca and he is 'ready' for a move to one of Serie A's biggest clubs.

The Lowdown: Mixed season...

The 24-year-old started this campaign brightly under manager David Moyes, scoring in each leg of their Europa Conference League qualifying round against Viborg.

Scamacca went on to bag group stage goals against both Silkborg and Anderlecht early in the campaign and eventually notched his first Premier League goal for the club against Wolves in October.

However, a combination of both injury issues and a subsequent lack of game time since has somewhat stifled the Italy international's momentum.

There have also been theories that Scamacca could be 'struggling' with adaption to English football and it's safe to say the player hasn't exactly had his best debut season overall.

This comes after West Ham signed from Sassuolo for a fee of around £35.5 million, ending their long search for a striker in the summer of 2022.

The Latest: Leva praises Scamacca...

Speaking to Sport Italia.com, Leva, a former coach of the striker's from 2009 to 2012 in the Lazio youth setup, has heaped praise on Scamacca amid his links with a Serie A return.

He claims the Italian is 'ready' for a 'possible leap' to one of Juventus or Inter, who have been touted as suitors.

Leva said:

"Gianluca is a top-tier centre-forward, it is no coincidence that he has been with the national team for some time. I can certainly tell you that he has all the potential to make the leap into a big one. [Simone] Inzaghi already knows him well from the time when I coached him at Lazio, he often came to watch the youth games."

When asked where Scamacca could end up, Juve or Inter, the former Lazio academy coach went on to say:

"I can't say where I would see him best, they are complex discussions that foresee the interlocking of many factors. I repeat that the only thing I am sure of is that Gianluca is ready to make this possible leap. But you will see that in the meantime he will return to being the protagonist with West Ham."

The Verdict: Great player...

Despite a lacklustre debut campaign at West Ham, we believe Scamacca is still very much a player to watch - especially going by his brilliant goal return of 16 in 25 league starts for Sassuolo last campaign.

The 6 foot 5 striker, called a 'powerhouse' by members of the press, still very much has the potential to make it at the London Stadium.

Still fairly young, perhaps this season could be judged as a settling in period as the demands of English football grow ever more intense year by year.