Who is Gianluca Scamacca? The Vlahovic alternative Tottenham could target
With each passing week, Dusan Vlahovic becomes all the more unattainable for Tottenham, or at least that is the opinion of supporters. Even with the lure of Fabio Paratici and the opportunity to play under Antonio Conte, Vlahovic will have his pick of destination as and when Fiorentina come to sell.
After scoring in the 2-2 draw with Sassuolo on Sunday, only Robert Lewandowski (19) has scored more goals than Vlahovic (16) in Europe's top five leagues this season and while Spurs may be keen on the Viola forward, the list of potential suitors grows with each passing week.
Vlahovic has just 18 months left to run on his current deal in Florence and is against extending his stay with the Viola, who will look to sell sooner rather than later. If the right offer comes along, that could be next month, even if that means cashing in on their prized asset at the midway point of the season.
Spurs will hope they can convince the 21-year-old his future is best served in north London, but even so; they are making contingencies if reports are to be believed. Vlahovic wasn't the only young forward to find the back of the net in Fiorentina's 2-2 draw with Sassuolo over the weekend. Gianluca Scamacca put Sassuolo ahead on the half hour mark at the Artemio Franchi with his sixth league goal of the season.
After a commendable loan stint with Genoa last season, where he scored eight league goals - only Mattia Destro (11) scored more for Il Grifone - Scamacca as sought to establish himself as first choice frontman for Sassuolo and, after watching from the sidelines in the opening weeks, he is now grabbing the chance to consolidate a starting spot with both hands, netting six times across nine Serie A starts, including a brace at Genoa in October.
And his good form in a Sassuolo shirt clearly hasn't gone unnoticed. Conte is keen on another forward to provide competition for Harry Kane and with the England captain in poor form, despite his goal on Sunday, an additional frontman is necessary. It's been a problem position for the north London side in recent years, with Kane, when fit, an automatic starter for Spurs. Therefore, a young forward who perhaps is prepared to play second fiddle for now could be ideal, with Scamacca fitting the bill.
Scamacca has been dubbed the 'Italian Ibrahimovic' and for good reason. The Swede has never really been particularly prolific when the ball is pumped into the box - just six of his 32 league goals scored since his return to Italy have been headers - with Scamacca similar in that regard. Despite standing at 6'4", the Italy international is yet to score a headed goal in Italy's top tier this term, instead favouring the ball to feet and using his stature to hold off opponents.
Indeed, he isn't afraid to throw himself about in the same style as Ibrahimovic and excel with the ball on the deck, maximising his speed to break through the lines as and when required. A dribble success rate of 72.7% is the 25th best of the 201 players to attempt 10 or more dribbles in Serie A this season. Given the space to run into, coupled with his strength to hold off markers, then Scamacca will, more often than not, beat a man to open up space in the final third.
This quality is particularly important on the road, where defences push higher up and away sides see less of the ball. As such, Scamacca's quality in possession allows for the youngster to ease pressure on the Sassuolo goal and capitalise on the space in behind defences. It means that of the six league goals Scamacca has scored this season, four have come on the road. For context, Ibrahimovic and Ciro Immobile (both 6) have scored more away goals than any other player in Serie A this season, while only five players have netted more than the towering Sassuolo hitman on their travels in 2021/22.
Sassuolo aren't under any pressure to sell Scamacca anytime soon, with the striker contracted to the Neroverdi until 2025, but they stand to make a hefty profit on a player they signed for a pittance in 2017. Yet he won't cost anywhere near as much as Vlahovic will and he'd fit a previous Spurs approach to transfers of buying low and selling high for young talents.
While Scamacca may yet be finding his feet with Sassuolo, the Italian could relish the opportunity to work under Conte at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He'd likely have to play backup to Kane for the time being, but he is a striker who boasts the talent and physical standing to succeed in the Premier League if Spurs are prepared to firm up their rumoured interest in the rising Sassuolo star.
