Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata could reignite Everton’s fortunes under Sean Dyche next season
Everton target Duvan Zapata could reignite the club under Sean Dyche, with the Toffees are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements this summer.
The Toffees were linked with a move for the Colombian in the January transfer window, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirming that talks [GiveMeSport, 18 January] were held, but the two clubs could not reach an agreement.
Everton wanted to bring in the striker on an initial loan with an option to buy, but Atalanta insisted that the deal be a permanent one, so no agreement came to fruition.
The 31-year-old will have just one year left on his contract at the end of the season, and the Toffees are still keen on a summer transfer amid a behind-the-scenes fallout with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini.
According to AS [20 February], the Toffees’ pursuit to sign the Colombian is complicated due to the club’s current position in the Premier League.
However, with Dyche currently on the right track in steering the club away from the drop zone, a move for the Serie A hitman cannot be ruled out, and it is potentially a deal that the Toffees could use to reignite themselves once again under Dyche’s leadership.
The Toffees are currently the joint-second lowest scorers in the Premier League on just 17 goals and are in desperate need of some more ammunition up top.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling to regain full fitness for a prolonged period and Neal Maupay failing to set his Goodison Park career alight so far, Dyche could do with a proven goalscorer next season to become a stable top-half side and Zapata certainly fits the bill.
The Colombian hitman possesses a tremendous record for his current club, netting 80 times in 179 appearances while also claiming 42 assists, showcasing his capabilities in both scoring goals and setting them up.
There may be some division amongst the Toffees fanbase regarding his age, but the club desperately need a frontman who knows where the goal is and Dyche certainly loves a big man up front capable of troubling opposition defences with tremendous hard work and attacking endeavour.
The Blues would be silly not to consider Zapata as an option for the summer.