The Toffees pursuit of centre-forward Duvan Zapata in the January transfer window proved to be a fruitless endeavour for Everton, despite being linked with the Atalanta forward alongside countless other names across world football.
Strengthening Everton’s stunted attacking output had to be a priority in the fight for Premier League survival, and it has been a source of frustration amongst the fanbase that the club failed to recruit a single player, a situation compounded by the £45 million sale of winger Anthony Gordon.
However, according to AS, the Blues could now reignite their interest in Duvan Zapata, who was repeatedly linked with a move to Goodison Park throughout the January transfer window.
Indeed, the Colombian international reportedly held talks with the Toffees, as confirmed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, but an agreement evidently could not be reached, and the 31-year-old remained in Bergamo.
The prolific attacker has featured in Italy’s top division since 2013 when he joined Napoli from Argentinian giants Estudiantes. Since then he has had spells at Udinese and Sampdoria, before settling at Atalanta, following a successful stint on loan.
Duvan Zapata could provide Everton with a reliable alternative to current attacking options
With a record of 67 goals in 141 games for Atalanta, there is little doubt of Zapata’s proficiency in front of goal, and he could offer Sean Dyche an alternative to the perpetually injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
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Indeed, the England international has been extremely unfortunate, and has struggled for fitness for the past eighteen months, leaving Everton with few options in attack.
Everton have scored the second fewest goals in the Premier League so far this season, with a woeful 17 strikes in 23 games, as the Blues reside just one point above the drop zone, and three points ahead of bottom-placed Southampton.
A centre-forward has to be a priority for Sean Dyche this summer, and an experienced international such as Duvan Zapata could be just the outlet that Everton require.