According to a recent report by Calciomercato, West Ham United are interested in securing the signature of Atalanta BC forward Duvan Zapata at the end of this campaign.
However, the same source has also revealed that the Hammers have already failed with an attempt to recruit the player and will now face stiff competition from Inter Milan in pursuit of the €40m-rated Serie A forward.
Zapata is currently playing on loan at Atalanta from Sampdoria with Gian Piero Gasperini’s side having the option to make the deal permanent next summer. It is expected that they will do so before selling him to either West Ham United or Inter Milan in the summer for a significant profit.
The Colombian forward has been in the form of his life at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia during this campaign. He has featured in 35 matches for the Italian outfit this term, scoring 21 goals while providing six assists across all competitions. The 27-year-old has also earned five international caps for the Colombian national team but is yet to find the back of the net from them so far.
Zapata is a complete forward as he has decent pace and is also aerially dominant in the attacking end of the pitch. He is also a very lethal finisher inside the opposition penalty box which makes him one of the most feared strikers in the Serie A. The Colombian striker has been a hard man to stop in the Italian top-flight this season but only time will tell whether he can continue his productive run of form for the remainder of this campaign.
The addition of Zapata will undoubtedly bolster Manuel Pellegrini’s attacking options at the London Stadium. The Hammers have currently got a few decent strikers in their squad such as Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez who are all competing for a place in Pellegrini’s starting XI. However, Zapata could be an upgrade over all of them due to his majestic goal-scoring prowess.
It would be a clever move for Pellegrini if he can orchestrate a move to sign the Colombian international as he is precisely the type of forward who can help West Ham compete for a top 6 place next season.
