Duvan Zapata Transfer News & Odds

With the winter transfer window in full swing, Serie A side Atalanta are reportedly looking to cash in on one of their assets.

Duvan Zapata, the club’s long-serving Colombian forward who has been a regular source of goals for the club ever since signing for them back in 2018, has been linked with an exit. The forward turns 32 in less than three months, and in recent seasons, he has slowly begun to suffer from more and more injuries.

With the former Napoli man having a contract that expires at the end of next season and seemingly ready-made replacements for the Colombian’s goals in players like Ademola Lookman who have impressed this season, either this transfer window or the summer represents the last chance that the northern Italian side can get a decent transfer fee for the ageing striker.

There is interest from the Premier League, and Zapata would be an asset in any side – for the bottom-half sides, he would be able to act as their main source of goals, whereas for a team further up in the table, his height and physical build would mean that he would be an effective “Plan B” type striker if a switch in tactics was ever needed during a game.

Zapata is versatile, being able to play either as a target man or a lone centre-forward. Here are the teams that have been linked with a move in this window for the man who has spent the last nine and a half years in the Italian top flight…

The Premier League’s second-bottom side are in dire need of reinforcements. Everton have failed to replace the goals and attacking threat that talisman Richarlison provided them with last season, and his big-money move to Tottenham is one of the main reasons why they find themselves in such a precarious position.

The Toffees have failed to adequately replace the Brazilian, with their attempts at doing so in the summer failing miserably. Attackers Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil cost a combined 35m in the summer, but the pair have just three goals between them this campaign.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has once again had an injury-hit season, resigning him to just nine league outings so far. Anthony Gordon has tried his best after cementing a spot in the first team, but he has just three goals in 16 outings. Ultimately, Everton have scored just 15 goals this season, a figure that is the joint second worst in the division.

The players at Frank Lampard’s disposal cannot score goals, and Lampard and the board need to do something about that, fast. With reported financial problems after years of overspending for very little return, Everton are limited in what business they can do. They cannot afford to take any more big-money gambles, so a player like Zapata is really one of the only options available to them.

Zapata’s price tag is mooted to be between £10m and £15m - if Zapata’s goals were to end up keeping the club in the Premier League, that would be a small price to pay.

The odds of Zapata joining Everton are 4/1 - click on the link to claim this bet in your bet slip!

After a relatively positive campaign under Patrick Vieira last year in which they claimed some memorable results, Crystal Palace have failed to command the same admiration this season after failing to build on those performances.

The Eagles are currently 12th, having won six and lost eight times so far. There is something seemingly different about Vieira’s men. It seems stale around Selhurst Park – something new is needed to breathe fresh momentum into their season. Could the January signing of Duvan Zapata do such a thing?

Palace have scored just 18 goals this season, with Wilfried Zaha once again leading the way with 6 of those goals. Odsonne Edouard has chipped in with three goals, while Jordan Ayew and Jean-Philippe Mateta have just two between them. The signing of Zapata could shake a seemingly stagnant Palace frontline up – Zapata has managed to score a double-digit tally of goals in every season since the 2016/17 campaign, with ten that year and 11 the following year.

Zapata’s figures have skyrocketed to an astonishing 23 after that, and 18, 15 and ten in the following seasons. The 31-year-old has managed just one goal this season, so he will need to get back to his best form if Palace were to complete a deal in this transfer window.

The odds of the Colombian joining the London side are 16/1.

In stark contrast to the two teams just covered, the Gunners are in sublime form as they lead the way in the English top flight.

Arsenal are currently on track for their first Premier League title since 2004, but to ensure that they can go all the way. Mikel Arteta’s side will need to make additions in this window. The Gunners are sorely lacking in squad depth – whereas Manchester City can afford to pack their bench with £50m signings, it is a whole different story in North London.

Arsenal can only afford to put fringe and youth player on their bench, which if the title race does go down to the wire, is a recipe for disaster. This season represents the biggest chance in years for Arsenal to break their title hoodoo, with the rest of the big six lagging well behind the north Londoners.

Man City and Chelsea are sure to spend big in the summer to bolster their squads, and both Liverpool and Manchester United have been linked with big-money acquisitions by foreign investors, who would almost certainly present those clubs with a huge injection of cash. It will once again make the league a lot tougher to win, so it is vital that Arsenal go all out and do whatever they can to ensure they get over the line.

Gabriel Jesus remains absent with a knee injury, and relying on Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka for goals every game is risky for Mikel Arteta, with a high risk of burnout for the two youngsters who rank second and fourth respectively in the squad in terms of minutes played this season. Arteta’s side need another option, especially with the resumption of Europa League football in the second half of the season.

Why not make a move for Zapata? The Colombian is of a different profile to most of Arteta’s current forwards, with his large frame and inferior pressing not what Arteta is used to. But it’s tougher to get exactly what you want in January, so a relatively cheaper option in Zapata may be all Arsenal can stretch to in attempting to bolster their frontline. The Colombian would be a fantastic target man if Arteta ever felt the need to switch up his electric style of football in a tight game.

Zapata is priced at 25/1 to make the switch from Atalanta to Arsenal.

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