Hammers close to sealing loan deal for Italian wonderkid
2:51pm Tuesday 13th May 2008
WEST Ham are reportedly close to clinching a season-long loan deal for Juventus youngster Davide Lanzafame.
The 21-year-old striker has spent the season on loan at Serie B side Bari - where former Juve and Italy midfielder Antonio Conte is coach - and has scored ten goals in 33 games.
He has been him called into the Italy U21 squad and is expected to ne named in Italy's squad for the Beijing Olympics.
"Lanzafame has improved tactically," Conte told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
"He is explosive, he sniffs the goal, and imposes his speed outside the area.
"If he improves and learns he can become like Cristiano Ronaldo."
Juve were looking to use Lanzafame as makeweight in a bid for Palermo's Brazilian striker Amauri earlier this month.
But the youngster has since insisted that he would be thinking carefully before deciding where his future lies next season.