Everton reportedly made a last-minute bid to sign Atalanta forward Duvan Zapata, though just like every other target on deadline day, the Toffees were met with rejection from the Serie A side.
According to TeamTalk, the Merseyside club submitted a loan-to-buy offer for the Colombian international on deadline day in a last-ditch attempt to sign an attacker, with Sean Dyche’s side failing to bring in any new players on the final hours of the January transfer window.
As per the report, Atalanta would have been open to a deal had Everton made a permanent offer to sign Zapata. However, the Toffees were insistent on a loan deal for the South American star, which ultimately blew up in the Goodison Park side’s face.
Lauded as a ‘goal machine’, Zapata has been one of the most consistent goalscorers in Serie A for Atalanta over the past few years, and for Everton, the attacker could been ideal for Dyche’s side and a perfect replacement for Anthony Gordon, who joined Newcastle United.
Indeed, Dyche now faces a huge battle on his hands to get Everton back into form and winning points in the league, with the Toffees now one of the favourites to drop down into the Championship after a historic spell in the English top-flight.
And missing out on all their targets on deadline day, namely Zapata, is a huge blow for Everton, with Dyche now stuck with what he currently as to keep the Toffees away from relegation and to retain their Premier League status for another season.
Everton signing Zapata could have changed everything
Everton’s need for an attacker this January was evident even before Gordon left for Newcastle, and signing a striker like Zapata could have worked wonders for Dyche, with the Colombian forward perfect for the new Toffees manager and well-suited to compete in the Premier League.
However, as we know, Everton were unable to secure a deal for the South American, and now it is up to Dyche to get the best out of his current crop of forwards, who this season have been badly out of form and misfiring at seemingly every step.
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