By support

16th Dec, 2016 | 1:12pm

Bilic makes emphatic decision on future of West Ham 25-year-old - report

By Emma Sanders

Simone Zaza will return to Italy in January and his loan agreement with West Ham will be ended, according to his agent.

Juvenews claim the 25-year-old’s agent has confirmed his spell at the Hammers will be cut short because he is no longer wanted by Slaven Bilic.

Zaza joined West Ham in the summer on loan from Juventus but he has failed to get into the side and West Ham want to part ways with him in the new year.

“Zaza will definitely go back to Juve, because West Ham do not want to keep him,” Vincenzo Morabito told Juvenews.

“He could stay in Turin, given that Juventus might need another striker. If not, there are plenty of other options. He will certainly return to Juve.”

According to ESPN, as part of the original agreement, if Zaza made 14 appearances during his time in London, West Ham would be forced to make the deal permanent.

It would have cost them around £16 million but having made just 11 appearances so far, only eight in the Premier League, it’s clear the Hammers don’t see a future for him at the club.

Zaza has been linked with a move to a number of European clubs including Lazio and Valencia but his agent made it clear he would be returning to Juventus before assessing his options.

The Italian was a key squad member of the Juventus side which won the Serie A and Coppa Italia in 2015-16 after joining from Sassuolo, scoring eight goals in 24 appearances.

He has picked up 16 international caps for Italy but has not been able to make an impact in the Premier League since his arrival in the summer, with his last appearance coming in the 4-1 EFL Cup defeat against Manchester United last month.

Football Insider verdict:

It was inevitable Zaza would leave West Ham in January given his lack of first team action. It’s clear he has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League since moving to London and he certainly isn’t worth £16million. Whether or not he will stay at Juventus is a different matter entirely. He may opt for a move away given the fact he was not considered a key first team member at the start of the season. There are plenty of suitors available in Italy and it’s likely he will stay in Serie A but a future with West Ham is definitely off the cards.

In other West Ham news, this 18-year-old has signed a long-term contract with the club.