By Matthew Shaw

21st Mar, 2023 | 5:10pm

Everton ready £13.1million bid for Duvan Zapata transfer in June

Everton are readying a bid to sign Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata already with eyes on June, according to Il Giorno on Monday 20 March.

The Italian outlet has reported on its website that the Toffees could place £13.1million on the table after the value of the Colombian drastically dropped.

Sean Dyche is looking for a new number nine with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still struggling and the pressure going on Demarai Gray, Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms.

Zapata will enter the final year of his current contract with Atalanta next season, potentially leaving the door wide open for an easy transfer to complete.

Everton and Dyche are said to want easy goals and a physical number nine, which is no surprise given the success of the tactics so far at Goodison Park.

Number Nine.

Everton are crying out for a new striker, and they have been for years now.

Richarlison left Goodison Park to join Spurs without being replaced, and although he’s not a striker, Anthony Gordon also wasn’t properly replaced after he left in January.

No one came in during the winter months, and it left Dyche with a mountain to climb to cement Premier League status, but he has started that ascend perfectly.

Starting mainly with Gray as a false nine, it has worked perfectly and Simms also finding his first top-flight goal came at the best of times.

Zapata is similar to Calvert-Lewin in terms of his physical stature and his eye for goal, but hopefully, he can remain fully fit should he sign on the dotted line.

Everton are a real number nine and a little bit more depth away from being a solid Premier League outfit, and we hope that by the time June arrives, the Toffees are still in the top flight.