West Ham Opinion: Why the Hammers should go all out for Duvan Zapata?

According to a report from The Sun, West Ham have turned their attention towards Sampdoria hitman Duvan Zapata after missing out on Maxi Gomez, who has joined Valencia from Celta Vigo.

Zapata, who represented Colombia at the Copa America this summer, scored 23 league goals for Atalanta last season while on loan from Serie A rivals Sampdoria. West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has made the 28-year-old Colombia international striker his number one target in a £40million deal.

The Hammers are desperately in need of a new striker, with Marko Arnautovic’s departure to China last week further reducing Pellegrini’s strike options. The Chilean tactician has already let go of the likes of Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez earlier this summer, meaning he has only Javier Hernandez and Jordan Hugill available as senior centre-forwards.

West Ham will be aiming for a top seven finish next season and for that to happen, Pellegrini has to bring in Duvan Zapata from Sampdoria.

Zapata did not have a great time at Napoli, but the 28-year-old striker did well during his loan spells at Udinese and Sampdoria. He joined Sampdoria on a permanent contract in the summer of 2018 and moved to Atalanta on a two-year loan deal. And the move worked wonders as the 28-year-old bagged 28 goals and eight assists in 48 appearances in all competitions for Atalanta.

A prolific goalscorer, Zapata’s ability to find space and be in the right position inside the penalty area has helped him find the back of the net on a regular basis in the Serie A. He is very strong in the air and combines his sharpness and agility with his pace, acceleration and dribbling abilities to rip apart opposition defences. The ex-Udinese man can hold the ball up and bring his teammates into the game.

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A player with a good eye for a pass, the Colombian is also adept at creating chances for his teammates with subtle flick-ons and deft touches in the final third, creating space for the others to pull the strings. He has the ability to time his jump to perfection to beat the opposition to the aerial balls, making him a clear threat from set-pieces. All in all, Zapata would certainly thrive under Pellegrini at the London Stadium.

Verdict

At £40 million in today’s age and market for someone like Zapata, West Ham would be a bagging a coup. The 28-year-old has the attributes to take the Premier League by storm and help the Hammers achieve a place in Europe next season.