Inter are reportedly on the verge of missing out on signing Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca in the final hours of the transfer window. As reported by Tuttosport (SempreInter), Cagliari have leapfrogged I Nerazzurri in the race to land the prodigious forward.
Despite snapping up the likes of Edin Dzeko and Joaquin Correa in the wake of Romelu Lukaku’s blockbuster return to Chelsea, Inter are thought to be in the market for another centre-forward.
While the Bosnian arrived from Roma as a direct replacement for Lukaku, the Argentine should compete with his compatriot Lautaro Martinez for the place in Simone Inzaghi’s starting line-up. There are still some concerns about Dzeko’s long-term fitness, hence Inter’s interest in Scamacca.
The 22-year-old has been touted for a last-minute switch to the Giuseppe Meazza as a contingency plan should Dzeko suffer an injury. At 35, the ex-Roma marksman is a short-term solution, but Inter need a younger option, given that they face a battle on multiple fronts this term.
However, they seem close to losing the race to sign Scamacca to Cagliari. The Sardinians are desperate to reinforce their attacking options down the final stretch of the transfer window, as Leonardo Pavoletti struggled to convince manager Leonardo Semplici of his scoring prowess.
Moreover, Cagliari offloaded Giovanni Simeone to Hellas Verona a couple of days ago, creating a massive gap in the front third. Therefore, they have stepped up their pursuit of Scamacca in the last hours and are hoping to complete the deal in the final 48 hours of the transfer window.
Scamacca has failed to secure a starting berth at the Mapei Stadium despite enjoying a successful loan spell at Genoa last season. The Italian striker recorded eight goals and two assists in 26 Serie A appearances at I Gialloblu in 2020/21 en route to attracting several high-profile suitors across the country.