Reported West Ham United target Duvan Zapata is the ideal candidate to replace Romelu Lukaku should the Serie A winner leave Inter Milan this month, former Nerazzurri ace Riccardo Ferri has told Tuttomercatoweb.
The Atalanta powerhouse may lack Lukaku’s star quality – Zapata is more Patrick Wilson than Leonardo DiCaprio – but signing the Colombian in place of the Belgian wouldn’t require too much of a tactical shift on Inter’s part.
Zapata is certainly a striker in the mould of ‘Big Rom’ after all.
Physically imposing at 6ft 3in and blessed with searing pace, not to mention lethal finishing skills, the Atalanta front man might not be as prolific as his San Siro counterpart but his goalscoring tally is still worthy of respect.
In the last three campaigns, Zapata has scored 66 times – an average of more than 20 per season.
And should cash-strapped Inter accept a mega-money bid from Chelsea, with Lukaku giving serious consideration to a second stab at life in west London, Ferri can’t imagine anyone better than Zapata to take his place (FC Inter News).
Inter may see West Ham target Zapata as a Lukaku replacement
“Any player who will replace the Belgian must have characteristics similar to him,” Ferri explains.
“Without a doubt, Zapata is certainly the one who resembles (Lukaku) the most.”
In May, Eurosport claimed West Ham, long-time admirers of the former Napoli benchwarmer, had enquired about Zapata’s availability.
But after David Moyes made it clear West Ham couldn’t afford to spend £40 million on Tammy Abraham earlier this summer, it seems unlikely another striker with a sky-high price tag will be on his way to the London Stadium (Sky)
“In Bergamo, it is rumoured (president Antonio) Percassi wants €70 million (£60 million) for Zapata. If Inter sell Lukaku, Zapata is perfect as a replacement – and Percassi knows it,” former Atalanta defender Giorgio Magnocavallo tells TMW
“Lukaku is an animal – so Inter have to get another like him. Zapata has been ready for some time.”
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