West Ham are among the teams vying for the signature of Parma striker Mateo Pellegrino, according to reports in the Italian media.
Calciomercato.com report that the Hammers are interested in the 24-year-old, along with Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.
Pellegrino only moved to Parma from Velez Sarsfield back in February, but the Serie A side are said to have already rejected one offer for the player in the summer worth €15m (£13m). It was believed to be from an English team.
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Since then, the former Argentinian youth international has gone on to start the 2025/26 campaign strongly, scoring 7 goals in 15 appearances.
Why are West Ham interested in the player?
Pellegrino’s nickname is “El Tanque” or “The Tank”, so you can guess what type of centre-forward he is – a target man who leads the line by holding up the ball.
Considering Nuno Espirito Santo’s direct style of play, it is not a surprise that he has come onto the Hammers’ radar.
It isn’t known whether he is the primary target being pursued. The Irons have also been linked with the likes of Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee, AC Milan’sSantiago Gimenez, Union Saint-Gilloise’s Promise David, Coventry City’s Haji Wright and Norwich’s Josh Sargent in recent days. A lot may depend on what Parma’s asking price for Pellegrino actually is.
Pellegrino has outshone more illustrious forwards
Even though he didn’t get on the scoresheet against Milan last month, Calciomercato claim the striker performed “better than Christopher Nkunku” in that match. The former Chelsea player has struggled since moving to Italy and Pellegrino is being targeted as a potential replacement.
Whether the Rossoneri would be able to match offers from West Ham and other Premier League teams, though, it is up for debate.
Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here