West Ham are eyeing up a summer swoop for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata after the Hammers failed to secure his services in January, having had a loan bid rejected on transfer deadline day.

The Lowdown: Failed January move for Zapata

According to Sky Sports, West Ham failed with a late push on deadline day to sign the Colombian on loan. It is reported that the Irons submitted a deal sheet to the Premier League, but they failed to get the deal with Atalanta over the line before the transfer window closed.

Newcastle United were also keen on signing the 30-year-old during the January window, but they were also rebuffed by the Serie A club.

As per Sky Sports, the Hammers’ interest in Zapata dates back to at least 2013, when he played for Estudiantes in Argentina.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-copy/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: West Ham to go back in for Zapata

According to a frehs report from Milan Live [via Claret & Hugh], West Ham are still interested in signing Zapata and have lined him up as their main centre-forward target, so they could return to Atalanta with a deal for the Colombia international at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old’s contract in Bergamo expires in June 2023, so the Serie A club may seek to offload him prior to then so that they can reap a decent transfer fee for him. Indeed, it is claimed that Atalanta are already lining up a move for Torino’s Andrea Belotti in preparation for Zapata’s departure.

The Verdict: Arguments for and against the move

It is undeniable that the Colombian’s scoring figures are fantastic. This season, he has banked an impressive nine goals in 17 league games and has netted three times in the Champions League.

These scoring returns are supplemented by his underlying statistics. When compared with positional peers over the past year, Zapata has ranked in the 99th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received, and in the 96th percentile for assists (via FB Ref).

Former Atalanta captain Papu Gomez has previously praised Zapata’s style, claiming that he plays “like a train” and that he’s so big that his “shorts look like underwear”. With the east London club having just one striker, the Colombian predator could provide strong competition for Michail Antonio.

Whilst on the surface this would appear to be a fantastic signing if West Ham can pull it off, Zapata turns 31 in April, so this transfer would have a whiff of short-term thinking about it. Therefore, West Ham’s money may be better invested in a striker from whom they could reap plenty of sell-on value further down the line.

In other news: Irons set to face ‘big competition’ in pursuit of this transfer target