According to a recent report by Calciomercato, West Ham United’s offer to sign Roberto Gagliardini was declined by Inter Milan during the January transfer window. It is believed that the Hammers made an approach to sign the Italian midfielder on loan with an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of this campaign (via Calciomercato). However, the Serie A giants decided to reject the offer as the player was keen on staying at the San Siro (via Calciomercato).
The 25-year-old began his career at Atalanta but struggled to give a good account of himself and had to go out on multiple loan spells to get his career back on track. He has finally found a new home at Inter Milan where he has managed to earn over 1000 minutes of playing time this season. The Italian has been involved in four goals after playing in 15 matches for Antonio Conte’s side this term in all competitions. He was instrumental behind his team’s 4-0 win over Genoa which was his defining performance of this campaign.
In the absence of Nicolò Barella and Stefano Sensi, Gagliardini stepped up to the plate and nailed down a first-team spot before he suffered a serious injury back in January. However, it is worth noting that the ex-Atalanta talent made an average of 1.1 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 clearances, 1.5 shots and 0.8 key passes per 90 minutes in the top tier of Italy (stats via whoscored). The stats indicate that he has contributed at both ends of the pitch but is still far from a finished product.
The Bergamo-born midfield ace formed a productive partnership with Marcelo Brozovic and Matías Vecino before his injury setback. Now that Christian Eriksen has arrived at Milan, Gagliardini could find it difficult to earn his first-team place back when he eventually returns from his layoff.
What Will The Italian Midfielder Bring To The London Stadium?
Gagliardini is a tough-tacking defensive midfielder who can work his socks off to win the ball back for his team. He excels at playing short, crisp passes from midfield and can also contribute by scoring the odd goal from time to time. The Serie A midfield ace could give West Ham boss David Moyes the option of playing three in midfield and be more flexible with his side’s formation during match-days.
Should Moyes Go Back In With Another Bid For Gagliardini?
Moyes has usually depended on Declan Rice and Mark Noble to carry the West Ham midfield this season. Both of them are hard-working midfielders, but the duo can sometimes struggle to play with a high tempo which explains why the Hammers have banged in just 30 goals in 25 league matches this season.
For now, the East London outfit need to avoid relegation from the Premier League so that they can stand a chance of landing Gagliardini next summer. Even though it might be difficult to lure him away from the San Siro, Moyes could take advantage of the growing competition at Inter by offering the midfielder more playing time at the London Stadium in the upcoming campaign.
