West Ham United have been urged to be patient with Gianluca Scamacca amid a subdued start at the London Stadium by former BBC radio pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Scamacca's form

Given that the Italian set the Irons back £35.5m in the summer, David Moyes may have expected a little more from the striker, who has netted just twice in 13 Premier League outings so far.

Journalist Ciro Venerato recently reported (via AreaNapoli) that Napoli were monitoring the forward's situation at the London Stadium over a potential January move.

That has prompted one pundit to have his say on Scamacca following his first few months in east London...

The Latest: Whelan pleads patience

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan urged Moyes to give the 23-year-old more time to prove himself in a West Ham shirt.

The 47-year-old said of Scamacca: “He just needs games. When you come into a new country, a new environment, a new system – you need to persist and stick with players like him.

“It’s the same for most players. Nunez had to find out a little about himself and the Premier League before he really got started.

“I do believe he needs time. I can’t believe they would be considering letting him go already. If they did sell him on, it would make a mockery of their transfer policy. They’ve got to try and make it work.

“That comes from good man management from David Moyes, and putting the faith in him to lead the line.”

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The Verdict: He'll come good

When moving to the Premier League, there is often an initial settling-in period, the duration of which can vary between players, and Whelan is right to call for Scamacca to be given more time to prove his worth.

The £71k-per-week earner has been hailed for his 'ball-striking ability' by journalist Joshua Mbu, which was frequently on display in Serie A last season as he weighed in with 16 goals, making him the sixth-highest scorer in the Italian top flight.

With the Hammers not even at the halfway stage of the league season, it would make no sense to ship Scamacca out already, and Moyes should give him at least until the end of the campaign to find his goalscoring form.