Everton target Duvan Zapata falls out with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini
Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata has reportedly fallen out with manager Gian Piero Gasperini amid links to Everton and Southampton.
According to AS [20 February], both the Premier League sides have made enquiries for the Colombian striker who is expected to leave in the summer.
Zapata’s current deal runs out in 2024 and he is also on the radar of other Serie A clubs who are keen on buying him once the window opens.
Worth considering
The Toffees had a disastrous January window but there were decent players that they were linked with and Zapata was one of them.
They even tabled a loan bid for the 31-year-old, but the Serie A outfit were reluctant to let him leave, although they’re likely to cash in once the summer window is in full swing.
This saw Everton even consider Marko Arnautovic as a stopgap option but that did not materialise either and they ended up without any new players.
Zapata is a wanted man in the summer and he would be a good fit for Sean Dyche’s side as he’s tall, speedy and can find the back of the net regularly.
He may be on the wrong side of 30, but that means his valuation will also not be as high and there is a cash crisis at Goodison Park as well.
It remains to be seen if Zapata was more of a Frank Lampard target or whether Dyche would also want to bring him to Goodison Park.