According to Calciomercato, Newcastle made a bid worth €23m (£19m) for Duvan Zapata in January, although it was rejected by Atalanta.
What’s the story?
Well, the offer was structured as an initial loan deal, with Newcastle willing to pay €5m upfront (£4m) and an €18m (£15m) obligation to buy Zapata if they stay in the Premier League.
Unfortunately, Atalanta were not interested.
However, Calciomercato believe the Serie A side will sell Zapata in June, as they state that the Italian outfit will ‘make cash’ on their No.91 and talisman.
So far this season, the 30-year-old has scored 12 goals in 22 appearances, while also providing seven assists.
Those are fantastic numbers, and you can see why Eddie Howe was keen to bring him to Tyneside.
In the end, Amanda Staveley could only add Chris Wood to Howe’s striking department, after triggering his £25m release clause.
Newcastle should avoid Duvan Zapata
As good as Zapata is, Newcastle need to start thinking about the long-term.
The short-term was prioritised with the signing of Wood, who arrives at the age of 30 to help Newcastle avoid relegation.
However, younger options must be targeted if Howe keeps the Magpies in the Premier League.
Having Wood and Zapata on the books – both of whom are 30 – would leave Newcastle needing to find another centre-forward in a few years.
Instead, signing someone like the 19-year-old Hugo Ekitike would be a much better decision – it was said that Newcastle had a bid accepted on deadline day, but the player was unsure.
There was nothing wrong with signing players in their thirties in January, as survival takes priority.
However, should that be secured, a different approach must be taken in the summer.
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