West Ham United are reportedly eyeing a swoop for striker Duvan Zapata as Manuel Pellegrini looks to bolster his attacking options this summer.
The Hammers have been left short in that department heading into the new campaign, with Marko Arnautovic, Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez all leaving the club.
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In turn, Pellegrini will need to fill those voids and bring in new faces to add quality and depth to his squad, and the latest name linked with a move to West Ham is Zapata.
According to The Sun, the 28-year-old is now the top target for the Hammers, although it’s suggested that he could cost around £40m to prise away from Italy.
Zapata is coming off the back of his most prolific season yet after scoring 28 goals in 48 games for Atalanta last season, guiding them into the Champions League.
He currently has 12 months remaining on his two-year loan deal from Sampdoria, and so it remains to be seen if he prefers to stick it out with the Serie A outfit and play in Europe’s premier competition and then assess his future, or grab the opportunity to play in the Premier League immediately.
Despite struggling to impress at Napoli after his move in 2013, he has scored goals regularly in Italy during spells with Udinese, Samp and now Atalanta, and coupled with his physicality, pace and clinical finishing, there is no reason why he wouldn’t be well suited to the Premier League to make a major impact for West Ham.
Time will tell if they can secure a deal, but ultimately it would appear as though West Ham are keen, while Mario Balotelli is mentioned as an alternative.
Nevertheless, if Pellegrini is looking for a consistent goalscorer and a real handful up front on and off the ball, they should surely be looking to prioritise Zapata to lead their charge next season.
