Former Valencia coach Cesare Prandelli admits he wanted to sign Simone Zaza.

Zaza has just ended his loan with West Ham to return to Juventus.

Prandelli said: "Peter Lim agreed with me and had instructed the Sporting Director to concentrate every effort on signing Zaza. He was supposed to come on the 27th [December], after the holidays.

"He is a character player and we did not have this type at the club, we mustn't forget that these are the kind of players that the fans want.

"On the 29th Zaza still hadn't arrived, but that's not all. On the same day the club asked me to choose between a striker and a midfielder, forgetting the four players that I had been promised."