Atalanta have reportedly lined up a move for VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic if Newcastle United manage to sign Duvan Zapata from the Serie A side.
According to Corriere Bergamo, the Italian club have plans in place to sign the 24-year-old Austrian international. And in an ironic twist of fate, Kalajdzic was once on Newcastle’s radar, with the Toon keen on the Bundesliga star in the summer.
According to the Athletic, Newcastle wanted to sign Kalajdzic. However, the Magpies simply couldn’t afford the Stuttgart striker. And six months later, the forward could play a role in Eddie Howe’s side landing Zapata.
As per Corriere Bergamo, Newcastle will go back in with a second offer for the Colombian international, with Atalanta eyeing a total financial package worth around €40m (£33m) for the 30-year-old striker.
A forward labelled as ‘a monster’ by Sports Illustrated, Zapata has been instrumental in Atalanta’s rise in both Italian football and the European scene. The former Sampdoria star has hit an incredible 78 goals and 39 assists in just over 150 games for the Bergamo side.
However, it appears that Atalanta are putting plans in place to replace Zapata with Kalajdzic, with Newcastle seemingly eager to sign the South American talisman before the closure of the January transfer window.
Atalanta have smart replacement in Kalajdzic if Newcastle sign Zapata
A recurring theme of Atalanta’s rise to their success is their incredible streak of signing players with ready-made alternatives, and in Kalajdzic, the Serie A side have just that if Newcastle manage to sign Zapata.
The Austrian is of a similar, bulky build as Zapata, and at 24, Kalajdzic is a whole six years younger than the Colombian international. If the Bundesliga star can hit the ground running, Atalanta would have once again secured another coup in the transfer market.
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