Sean Dyche’s Everton will be given another chance to sign Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata this summer – and he may only cost £10million.
That’s according to The Sunday Mirror (26/02, p73), who claim that Zapata will be allowed to leave Atalanta after a fall-out with boss Gian Piero Gasperini.
Everton were looking at a loan-to-buy deal for Zapata in January but the window closed without a deal being done.
It’s now suggested that Zapata will be offered to Everton again this summer in the hope of finally securing a deal.
Nottingham Forest and West Ham United were both interested in Zapata during the January window too.
However, they went and signed other strikers of a similar age; Danny Ings went to West Ham whilst Forest snapped up Chris Wood.
Those deals may take them out of the race for Zapata and Everton could be in the clear for Zapata.
Who is Everton target Duvan Zapata?
Zapata emerged in South America with America de Cali and then Estudiantes, scoring goals to impress Napoli.
Since his 2013 move to Naples, Zapata has become a household name in Serie A and hasn’t played for a club outside of Italy for 10 years now.
Napoli, Udinese, Sampdoria and Atalanta have all seen Zapata find the net with regularity.
80 goals in 179 games for Atalanta is a strong record for Zapata but he has scored just once this term.
A major injury last season appears to have hampered Zapata and a move away from Atalanta seems inevitable now.
A strong and powerful centre forward, Zapata has been likened to former Everton star Romelu Lukaku over in Italy.
Everton are unlikely to see the same goalscoring quality Lukaku provided at Goodison Park but he can be a target man for Sean Dyche.
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