A powerhouse striker who was close to joining West Ham on d-day now wants a summer move says the agent of Duvan Zapata.
David Moyes opened up on his failed attempt to bring Atalanta striker Zapata to West Ham on deadline day last January.
“That one (a deal for Zapata) was done,” Moyes told The Evening Standard back in March last year.
“But they (Atalanta), for the last four hours of the window, just disappeared, shut down.”
The Colombian, who also came close to joining West Ham under Sam Allardyce earlier in his career, remained at Atalanta.
An injury issue has limited Zapata to just eight starts this season. But he has proved to be a deadly finisher when fit and firing and uses his strength and pace in much the same way as Michail Antonio.
Goals have been a problem for West Ham all season until the sudden burst in the 4-0 win over Forest at the weekend.
The Hammers have relied on Antonio as their main striker until this season but his form has dipped badly over the last year.
This could be the soon-to-be 33-year-old’s last season at West Ham. And if Moyes is looking for a like-for-like replacement then it could be a case of second time lucky.
Because the powerhouse striker who was close to joining West Ham on d-day now wants a summer move says the agent of Zapata.
Sportitalia report that Zapata looks to be on his way out of Atalanta in the summer, when he will have just a year left on his contract.
And the West Ham target’s agent Fernando Schena says his client is open to a move in the next window.
“We’ll see if an offer comes in over the summer that is suitable for both the player and Atalanta, in which case we will evaluate it,” Schena told Sportitalia.
“We’ll see at the right time, there’s not much else we can say at this moment.”
As well as West Ham, Fiorentina, Inter and Chelsea have also been linked with the 31-year-old forward.