Duvan Zapata has maintained his remarkable Serie A form at Atalanta to potentially catch the eye of Premier League West Ham United once again.
The Duvan Zapata to West Ham United rumours just didn’t go away over the summer. And don’t be surprised if they return with a vengeance between now and the New Year.
Now, The Hammers’ lack of depth up front has not been discussed at anywhere near the same length as it has at, say, Manchester United. But beyond Sebastian Haller, the new record signing, there is a paucity of options available to Manuel Pellegrini.
Albian Ajeti struggled badly during Wednesday’s 4-0 EFL Cup thrashing at Oxford and, while it is too soon to write off a player who only arrived in England this summer from Swiss football, his form is a worry already. Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic and Lucas Perez, meanwhile, were all sold this summer.
Therefore, it would be no real surprise if Zapata was back on the radar. The late-blooming Colombian plundered 28 goals to fire free-flowing Atalanta into the Champions League for the first time last season and he already has four in six this time around.
West Ham have been linked with the former Napoli frontman all year with the Bergamo Post claiming that they bid £35 million in January. And while the cynics will point out that The Hammers invested £40 million in Haller just months ago, it can be argued that they need another marquee striker signing more than ever now.
A fine start to the Premier League season has raised hopes of a sustained push for the top six, maybe even the top four. But West Ham are playing a dangerous game with just two senior strikers, one of which has struggled to make any sort of an impression so far.
Signing Zapata in January is exactly the sort of statement which would prove that West Ham are indeed serious about bringing European football to the London Stadium.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
