An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United's transfer pursuit of Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata...

What's the talk?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Magpies have already agreed personal terms with the centre-forward, to whom they are willing to offer a salary of €6.5m (£5.4m) per season.

The report claims that the Tyneside club will be able to snap him up from Atalanta if they pay €40m (£33.4m) up front and sign him on a permanent deal in the current transfer window rather than on an initial loan.

Masterstroke

Newcastle could seal a masterstroke this month by securing a deal to sign Zapata from the Serie A club, as he could save the Magpies' season.

He is a proven goalscorer at the top level and is a multi-faceted forward who could offer a big threat for Eddie Howe's side at the top end of the pitch. His vast skill set could make him a danger to opposition defences and he has the physical strength to endure the relentless nature of Premier League football.

 

His former teammate Papu Gomez previously hailed his physique, saying: “Zapata's shorts look like underwear, he is so big. Sometimes I don't even want to get close to him in a match because he's a beast and it hurts. When he is feeling good he's like a train – you throw the ball forward and 'ciao!'”

This suggests that the 30-year-old will not be bullied by Premier League defenders and will be able to hold his own in individual duels. Therefore, there should be no concerns that he will be too lightweight for the English top flight, which means that his technical ability could be shown in full view.

In 152 games for Atalanta, he has scored 78 goals and provided 38 assists. This shows that he is an all-round centre-forward who can find the back of the net himself whilst also linking the play for others to allow his team-mates to score through his creative nous as the number nine.

Zapata has scored 35 headers, 52 goals with his right foot and 16 with his left foot, showing that he can find the net in a variety of ways whilst playing at the top level in Italy. This suggests that he could be a major asset for Newcastle and a terrific signing for Howe's team, which is why PIF could land a masterclass if they can bring him to the club in the coming days.

AND in other news, NUFC could find the "next Paul Gascoigne" as PIF plot bid for £25m "freak of a talent"...