The Atalanta hitman would be a wonderful addition for West Ham United.
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini will surely be keen to add an experienced hitman to his ranks at the London Stadium this summer, regardless of whether Marko Arnautovic ends up staying or leaving.
According to a report from Bergamo Post, the Hammers have had a €40 million (£35 million) bid rejected for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata, but they must not be disheartened, and continue with their attempts to sign the Colombian.
The 27-year-old possesses blistering pace, and he’s a lethal finisher when presented with a goalscoring opportunity.
Zapata has been on fire in Italy this season, notching up an impressive 14 goals in 20 Serie A outings for Atalanta, and he would offer West Ham an entirely different option in the final third.
Amazingly, all of those goals have come in his last eight league outings, so he is arguably Europe’s most in-form striker.
The Colombian would offer the Hammers real pace through the middle, and his willingness to run in behind the opposition’s defence into the channels would create more space for the likes of Felipe Anderson and Samir Nasri to operate in.
Zapata would be the ideal striker partner for someone like Javier Hernandez or even Andy Carroll, what with their preference of operating in and around the 18-yard box.
Quite how much Atalanta would be willing to sell the 27-year-old for remains to be seen, but West Ham should not give up just yet on the pacey front-man, and go back in with an improved bid before the transfer window slams shut.
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