Duván Zapata

[Il Drago]

Nah I disagree. While there's no question he's a big downgrade from Lukaku, Zapata is still significantly better than a lot of people are making him out to be.

If we sign him though, we're blowing a significant chunk of our earnings on someone who: 1) isn't good enough to lead us to the title anyway, and 2) lacks the positives and promise of a younger star in the making like Vlahovic. I'm personally not as big on resale value as others here but clearly Suning have demonstrated they're willing to sell our stars - therefore resale value should be considered in this case. All the more reason we should be priotising Vlahovic as first preference, not Zapata.

Simply put, €80m for Vlahovic is much better than €40m for Zapata. If it's true that Suning has allocated or will allow for up to €60m outlay, then Marotta needs to make one of those favorable deals like juve got with Chiesa.

I don't think anyone claims Zapata is shit. If the club brought him as a backup no one would have complained. But he's probably coming as a starter to replace a player who contributed 24 goals and 10 assists in the league. So either Zapata needs to be a 20+ goals forward for us or Lautaro needs to make a major step up. I have no faith in either happening. I am not that convinced about Vlahovic but at least with him you would get a player who's coming from a great season and is 10 years younger.

Another issue with Zapata is the price tag. When you spend 40m for a 30-year old he needs to be an established top player and Zapata certainly isn't. He failed at Napoli, he was decent at Udinese and Sampdoria and he exploded in Gasperini's system where many mediocre players, who have failed elsewhere, have looked great. And even at Atalanta he has showed a slow, but steady, decline after his first great season.

Zapata Serie A stats
2018/19 23 goals 7 assists
2019/20 18 goals 7 assists
2020/21 15 goals 10 assists

we're not talking about some donkey here. but at that price, at that age and with a dubious injury record (at least last season I believe?) it's a hard no.

He struggled with injuries only in his second season at Atalanta. In his first and third seasons, he was mostly injury free. Before then, we need to go back to 2015/16 to find a season with a serious injury for Zapata. His injury record is the least of our worries.

 

[Sassuolu]

Zapata is a cog in a machine that is Atalanta, I don't see him being able to carry Inter's attack on his back, not to mention the extra scrutiny he's going to get. I'd rather go for 2 younger profiles, maybe Isak?

 

[ElDuccio]

i prefer saving that money and play with Satriano/Sanchez at least till January or next year, if we really have to spend +40 on him. We will anyway not have a chance to win the title... with Vhlalovic it could be a diffrent story if he really is that good. But it still would be hard of course. If were lucky he's amazing and if not we are fucked, like Milan with Piatek (only diffrence is that Vhlalovic would cost much more what Milan paid for Piatek). As crazy it would be, i prefer spending 60-70M on him instead 40M for Zapata.

 

[bubba zanetti]

Fuck this clown,buy SMS and play with one striker(Lautaro).

 

[junkie]

60 mil for Vlahovic seems too much for one good season...for fuck sake chiesa was/will be 60 mil for juve...
maybe 40 mil + primavera kid or something

 

[Matrix_invincible]

Zapata is good but not worldclass. Inter should aim for a worldclass striker. Furthermore he is 30, we should look for somebody who can help over years.

Wouldnt go for Vlahovic either. Remember Piatek? He had one good season too, the rest is known.

 

[junkie]

think the problem is who? games starts in two weeks...

 

[Batman]

What a world we live in… Zapata worth 40m. What’s worse? We are interested.

 

[crzdcolombian]

Unless it’s a bunch of players we don’t want + 20
Million then no

dude is 30, only been good for 1.5 years and was just complete and utter garage this summer. He was also injured for a good part of last season

bad enough I have to watch him for the NT missing open shots. He was actually benched for Santos Borre on the Nt haha who we were linked to and could have gotten for free.

 

[CafeCordoba]

60 mil for Vlahovic seems too much for one good season...for fuck sake chiesa was/will be 60 mil for juve...
maybe 40 mil + primavera kid or something

Chiesa went to Juve at the deadline day, one year before freeagency. It was a tough position for Fiorentina.

When it comes to Zapata, those stats Il Drago posted tells it quite well. Zapata is not a first striker per se. I mean a carry striker, the one you should score your goals. Goal amount is decreasing year by year. While assist went up.

He'd be a perfect support act at Inter level club. The one who makes the layups for the goals, does the "dirty" work, and of course bangs some goals in the way too. But him replacing Lukaku would be insanity. Would require Lautaro to step up BIG TIME. And still it would be awful transfer financially.

 

[IM21]

Zapata's agent - "Surely Duvan would like to play for Inter, but there is nothing to say in this regard because we have not yet spoken to any manager of the Nerazzurri. The negotiation does not exist to date. "

 

[vasilios]

Of course he would like to play for Inter and have his salary tripled

 

[junkie]

Chiesa went to Juve at the deadline day, one year before freeagency. It was a tough position for Fiorentina.

When it comes to Zapata, those stats Il Drago posted tells it quite well. Zapata is not a first striker per se. I mean a carry striker, the one you should score your goals. Goal amount is decreasing year by year. While assist went up.

He'd be a perfect support act at Inter level club. The one who makes the layups for the goals, does the "dirty" work, and of course bangs some goals in the way too. But him replacing Lukaku would be insanity. Would require Lautaro to step up BIG TIME. And still it would be awful transfer financially.

it seems like we would have 2 lautaros...

 

[andrei]

60 mil for Vlahovic seems too much for one good season...for fuck sake chiesa was/will be 60 mil for juve...
maybe 40 mil + primavera kid or something

The problem is Comisso. I don't believe he will want to sell him after just one season. Only for a price that is high enough.
Just as Inter with Lukaku. If that sum of 120-130m is real. For 70-80m most of us would say no. But for over 100m is more than understandable.

 

[wera]

BUU

 

[Il Drago]

According to Sky, Inter have an agreement with Atalanta over Zapata and they're just waiting for La Dea to find his replacement.

 

[CafeCordoba]

Goddammit. Hopefully it's like 30+5 or something. Even that is too much for my liking. Maybe 25 + 10 and bonuses linked to Scudetto, CL spot, CL knockouts etc

 

[diamen]

According to Sky, Inter have an agreement with Atalanta over Zapata and they're just waiting for La Dea to find his replacement.

This guy is 31 in 4 months, he is injury prone and failed in every club except Atalanta. Paying over 20 mln for him will be catastrophic.

 

[RickyMaravilla'sRightFoot]

Dumb move. He’s worth 25 tops and even that’s a stretch.

 

[Sawyer]

We don't need a poor mans Toro, he's already in that spot. Zupata altho slightly different player, plays the same role as Cafe/Drago explained.

I like this player, however, if its Lukaku gone and him in, its going to be really, really hard to swallow that pill.

He should be bought as part of the new season title challenge, not as replacement for the best striker in the world, yea I said it, and what.