Fulham: Cottagers “touching base” over Zapata
Marco Silva is searching for a replacement for Aleksandar Mitrovic. Fulham are considering a move for Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata, but their chances of securing the striker are currently low. Fulham’s pursuit of Flamengo striker Pedro is facing obstacles, as the Brazilian club is demanding a high fee. Fulham is actively looking to bolster their squad in the transfer market and is seeking a physical striker to replace Mitrovic.
Fulham are “touching base” with Atalanta over a move for Duvan Zapata, however, they have had a number of other striker targets in mind, transfer insider Dean Jones has now claimed.
Who are Fulham signing this summer?
With Aleksandar Mitrovic joining Al Hilal for a club-record £46m fee, it is imperative that Fulham bring in a replacement before the September 1st deadline, and they have identified Flamengo striker Pedro as a key target, but their pursuit is not going to plan.
The Cottagers were willing to shell out €25m (£21.5m) on the Brazilian, but after hearing that fee would not be deemed acceptable by Flamengo, they are now evaluating whether to make an official offer worth more than that.
Pedro wants to leave, after a recent altercation with a member of the coaching staff, but his current club are holding out for a high fee, which could cause Marco Silva to turn his attentions elsewhere, and Jones has now indicated that movement could be expected soon.
In a recent interview with GiveMeSport, the transfer insider provided an overview of Fulham’s current dealings in the transfer market, saying:
“Fulham are hitting the transfer market next week to bolster the squad and make sure they are safer from the threat of relegation.
“Zapata is being linked, and the feeling is that it could be tricky, so the early expectations of it happening are low. But they are touching base in the hope something could open up.
“Broja was always a very outside bet, and Silva was never that expectant on anything happening with that. There was the Kean interest too though, so we are seeing a picture being painted of the type of striker we can expect them to sign in terms of player profile and fit. Mitrovic is a very physical player, and Fulham are looking for someone to bring that to their attack again. It’s very important in terms of how Silva lines up his team and builds play.”
How many goals has Duvan Zapata scored?
Although the Cottagers are not currently in a strong position to sign the Atalanta forward, he could definitely be worth pursuing, should he be able to reignite his previous form, having scored a total of 133 goals in 332 games throughout his career so far.
The Colombian was one of Atalanta’s most consistent players for a number of years, and he was formidable in front of goal in Serie A, reaching double figures for goals in six consecutive seasons.
However, now that he is in the latter stages of his career, at 32 years of age, the £55k-per-week forward has not been quite as prolific, finding the back of the net just twice in the Serie A last season, despite featuring fairly regularly.
Having been lauded as “physically imposing” and a “freight train of a striker” by CBS’ Matteo Bonetti, the veteran striker could be a shrewd replacement for Mitrovic, but there are signs he is not the player he once was, and by the looks of things, a move o Craven Cottage could be one to keep a close eye on.
