‘He is a fearsome prospect’: Sky journalist says Newcastle are trying to sign a player who’s so strong it’s scary

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South American football expert and journalist Tim Vickery has delivered his verdict on Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata amid rumours linking him with a move to Newcastle United.

The Magpies have already brought in a striker in Chris Wood but Eddie Howe is not done just yet. The Toon boss is desperate to sign another forward before the window shuts in 10 days, and Zapata is reportedly on top of his wish list at the moment.

Tuttomercatoweb revealed yesterday that Newcastle have already agreed personal terms with the Colombian, all that’s left to do is convince Atalanta. If PIF manage to do that, Vickery believes they’ll sign a truly fearsome striker.

The journalist told Sky Sports yesterday that Zapata will need no time to adjust to the physicality of the Premier League, but the country’s best defenders may find it difficult to deal with him if he arrives.

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Tim Vickery: Newcastle-linked Duvan Zapata is a beast

Asked what Newcastle and Premier League fans can expect from Zapata, Vickery said, as quoted by The Express: “It is often a question we have to field and we come back saying ‘well, it will be interesting to see how he copes with the physicality of the Premier League’.

“It is not a question we really need to pose, however, with Duvan Zapata. In fact, you flip that one and it goes the other way around. Are the Premier League centre-backs prepared for the physicality of Duvan Zapata?

“He is a beast, he is a fearsome prospect there and he can look after himself up front with a lot of talent as well.”

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Newcastle have already signed a physical striker in Wood, but Duvan Zapata would likely outshine him if he moves to St James’ Park in the coming days.

The Colombian has scored 12 goals and has provided seven assists in just 22 games in all competitions so far this season. He averages a goal every 134 minutes in the league, which is a truly fantastic record.

The only concern for Newcastle is that Zapata is 30 already and he’ll turn 31 in a little over two months time. That makes him a short-term option, but the Magpies’ priority now is to stay in the Premier League and the Atalanta star could well be the man to fire them to safety in the coming months.

It will be interesting to see if Newcastle can pull this deal off in the next few days. If they can, their chances of survival will go up considerably.

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