Michail Antonio’s hamstring injury only amplifies David Moyes’ regret over failing to sign a striker during the summer, as former West Ham United target Mario Mandzukic continues his search for a new club.

What’s the word?

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Mandzukic could be close to sealing a return to the Serie A with Bologna after failing to find a new club since leaving Al-Duhail in early July.

The veteran Croatian only joined the Qatari outfit in January when it was made clear that he was not a part of Maurizio Sarri’s plans at Juventus, but left having scored just once in seven appearances.

Yet the 34-year-old could be offered a route back to Italy as Federico Santander is set to miss up to four months through injury, as the centre-forward requires external capsular repair surgery to heal damaged ligaments in his right knee.

Mandzukic is thought to be one of the options that Bologna are now exploring given his performances for Juventus during five trophy-laden years in Turin, but the operation is extremely complicated financially.

Di Marzio says Mandzukic rejected offers to join Benevento, Fiorentina, Aston Villa and West Ham this summer, and is clearly in no rush to secure a new challenge just for the sake of continuing his career after three months on the scrap heap.

Antonio’s hammer blow

While Mandzukic has proven throughout his career that he is not a centre-forward who clubs can rely on week in, week out to score the goals that secure silverware, West Ham’s failure to seal a deal for a new striker this summer makes missing out on the Croatian a frustrating loss for Moyes.

West Ham ended the window with just Antonio and Sebastien Haller as their only recognised centre-forwards, but in a hammer blow are now down to just the Frenchman after Antonio sustained a hamstring injury that could rule the 30-year-old out for six weeks.

Moyes would be dreaming if he could call on Mandzukic to offer depth upfront, even though the veteran forward boasts just 197 goals through 497 career appearances, yet instead is enduring a nightmare ahead of facing Liverpool on Saturday evening.

It is not even the goals that Mandzukic offers which sees managers aspire to work with him, as former Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri lauded the Croatian as an “extraordinary” talent in 2018 on route to the striker’s fourth Serie A title.

“Mario is a key player. His combination of technical and physical attributes makes him an extraordinary player,” he said, via quotes by AS.

AND in other news, West Ham can sign the new Nemanja Vidic in a £43.3k-p/w “powerhouse” David Moyes courted this summer.