West Ham United are eyeing a move for Sampdoria centre-forward Duvan Zapata.
The Hammers have been linked with several forwards in recent days, but nothing has materialised just yet.
According to a report from The Sun, the Hammers have shifted their attention to Zapata, and are willing to pay £40 million for the 28-year-old after missing out on Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez, who is expected to move to Valencia.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of West Ham signing Zapata:
PROS
The centre-forward is comfortable in shooting with both feet, and managed 28 goals and 8 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions last term.
Zapata is a prolific goal-scorer, and his ability to find space and be in the right position inside the penalty area has helped him find the back of the net on a consistent basis.
The Colombian striker is also built like a tank, and at 6ft 2in, is pretty strong aerially and is hard to knock off the ball.
Last season, he managed 1.8 duels won per 90 minutes and was fouled at an average of 2 times per game which highlights his ability to maintain possession or earn set-pieces in dangerous areas in the opposition half.
For his physique, Zapata is a deceptively good dribbler, and can also pick a pass in the final third. He recorded 1 dribble, and 1.7 key passes per game last season.
CONS
Despite boasting great strength, Zapata lacks the technical prowess that someone like Marko Arnautovic had, which often ends up with him losing the ball in the attacking third.
He had 3.7 poor touches, and was dispossessed 2.3 times per game across all competitions last season.
The Colombian’s defensive contribution can be given a pass seeing he plays higher up the pitch, but his overall passing can improve.
He averaged a poor pass success of 78.5% last season, and if the system involving the likes of Felipe Anderson, Pablo Fornals et al. is to work, Zapata will have to be more assertive with his passing.
The 28-year-old has no prior Premier League experience and has spent the most of his career in the Italian top-flight which could be a cause of concern seeing the difference in the pace and quality of the two competitions.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored
