Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata could miss three months of Serie A action after missing out on a January move to Premier League duo West Ham and Newcastle United, as reported by Tuttomercatoweb.
It’s not just Newcastle supporters bemoaning the loss of their star striker.
Yesterday afternoon, manager Eddie Howe struck fear into the hearts of everyone on Tyneside when he suggested that Callum Wilson could be consigned to the side-lines until the final few games of the season.
Hardly an ideal situation.
Especially considering that Chris Wood hasn’t exactly set the world alight so far.
Over in Bergamo, Atalanta are coming to terms with a bitter injury blow of their own.
Zapata, the club’s 12 goal top scorer, may be forced to undergo surgery after suffering a suspected adductor injury.
As a result, the powerhouse Colombia international might have already played his final game of the 2021/22. His absence leaves Atalanta to fight for Champions League qualification without their number one centre-forward.
How close did Duvan Zapata come to a Premier League move?
Newcastle agreed terms with Zapata over a £100,000-a-week deal in January.
Atalanta were less enamoured, however, about a deal that would have seen the £33 million-rated former Napoli man arrive on initial loan deal.
Zapata also came within touching distance of a deadline-day move to West Ham.
According to Sky Sports, the Hammers submitted their paperwork to the Premier League on Monday night. But they ran out of time as the window slammed shut on David Moyes’ fingers.
One of the most underrated and physically imposing number nines in European football, Zapata has been on West Ham’s radar since the days when Sam Allardyce was patrolling the Upton Park touchline.
But should the rangy South American miss the rest of this season with a potentially serious tendon injury, his wait for a big-money move to the Premier League could go on with no end in sight.
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