Roma came close to signing Duvan Zapata midway through last summer, but Atalanta never signed off on the deal, and he eventually joined Torino. He’s coming off his best performance of the season, as he took down his former side with a brace.
His agent Fernando Schena spoke with Sportitalia.
“He was very emotional after the game. It was like a movie or a dream for him. He loved La Dea and Bergamo for five years. He’s always angry when he doesn’t score, but he’s a great professional and works hard all the time.”
The Zapata representative confirmed the talks with Roma.
“His present is in Turin, where he feels important. The Giallorossi wanted him beforehand, and he wished to join them. However, Atalanta didn’t want to sell him to them, and then this opportunity materialized. He’s happy now.”
According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Nerazzurri turned down the proposal because it wasn’t certain the striker would be retained. The counterparty tendered a two-year loan with a conditioned obligation to buy. The striker would have earned €2.7M annually for four seasons if he were redeemed.
Our Take on Roma and Zapata
It’s a typical case of when one door shuts, another opens. Had Giallorossi signed him, they wouldn’t have snapped up Romelu Lukaku, who’s obviously a lot better. It was also a fair stance by Atalanta, which wanted to be sure about the profits and that he wouldn’t eventually come back with a lower valuation.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |