In a recent report, Il Giorno mentioned that Everton are eyeing a move for Atalanta forward Duvan Zapata. It has been claimed that the Toffees have opened talks with the Italian club to land the Colombian striker.
Zapata’s Up And Down Season At Atalanta
Zapata has endured an underwhelming season in Italian football as he has struggled to be consistent with his productivity in the final third. The 31-year-old has registered one goal and two assists in 12 matches for the Italian club during this campaign on all fronts.
The Colombian sensation has led the line well at times and deserves some credit for averaging 1.3 shots and 0.5 key passes per 90 minutes in Serie A. However, he lacks quality when distributing possession deep inside the opponent’s half, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 69.5% in league football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Italian club is set to run out in the summer of 2024. Thus, it makes sense for the Toffees to move in for him this month or at the end of this campaign as the player might be available on a cut-price fee.
Should Everton Boss Frank Lampard Get Zapata On Board?
Zapata is proficient at engineering space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal. He has got the vision to cut open the opposition defence with a killer pass in the final third.
However, the Colombian talent lacks consistency in terms of his goal-scoring numbers this season. Plus, he has missed a handful of important games for Atalanta recently due to a hamstring problem. Still, he could be a good option for Everton boss Frank Lampard to pursue this year.
Zapata is good enough to fight for a regular starting spot at Goodison Park and will no doubt offer more competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the Merseyside club.
However, there are some concerns over whether he has what it takes to cope with the physical nature and high intensity of English football if the Toffees manage to sign him before the end of this transfer window.
At 31, Zapata might still have a few good years left in him to perform at a high level. Plus, he could help Everton challenge for a top-half finish in the Premier League over the next few years. Thus, Lampard would be wise to focus his attention on getting the experienced centre-forward on board this month.
