Newcastle January target Duvan Zapata out with injury for 3 months

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Newcastle United January transfer target Duvan Zapata of Atalanta B.C. could be out for up to three months with a suspected adductor injury. He sustained the injury coming off the bench against Cagliari and may have to undergo surgery, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

According to The Daily Record, the Magpies placed a bid for the Colombian forward of around £25 million. But the same report stated the Italian side wanted a fee over £35 million.

West Ham United made a late bid to land Zapata, according to Sky Sports. But time ran out and they were not able to get it done in time.

Zapata could be an option to consider for the summer

The Magpies perhaps could’ve done with another striker arriving in January. Newcastle only has two available strikers in Chris Wood and Dwight Gayle.

Callum Wilson is out with an injury and set to be back for the last few games of the season. Wilson himself expressed that he wished they’d bought another forward in January.

It’s always a deal Newcastle can revisit in the summer. The Colombians boasts an impressive goal scoring tally for Atalanta. However, you get the feeling West Ham may revisit the deal in a few months’ time as well. So there will no doubt be competition for his signature.

Zapata is one of Europe’s most consistent finishers, his goal record in Serie A is really impressive. He has 9 goals this season and 15 the season before. In his first two seasons at Atalanta, he netted 23 goals in his first and 18 in his second.

However, he is now 30-years-old and turns 31 in April. So the argument could be made that he is too old for a new era. But, strikers like Jamie Vardy and Antonio Di Natale have proven age doesn’t always mean the goals go away.

If the price is right and the player is up for the move, then Zapata could be a really exciting signing for Newcastle next season. This is all provided they avoid relegation this season. It is unlikely that the Colombians would step down into the Championship.

They’re likely to face competition from West Ham who nearly signed him right at the end of the deadline day. But the financial juggernaut that is PIF will certainly be able to compete with the Hammers.