Newcastle have reportedly offered Atalanta £25m for Duvan Zapata despite reportedly being interested in Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos [Daily Record].
Morelos has been linked with a move away from Ibrox in pretty much every transfer window since he joined Rangers in 2017.
Newcastle have been linked with him on a number of occasions over the years and CBS Sports asserted at the beginning of this month that El Bufalo was the Magpies’ ‘most urgent’ transfer target.
It was claimed that the 25-year-old was ‘the ideal addition’ to Eddie Howe’s striking department as they bid to escape the Premier League relegation zone over the second half of the season.
Morelos to Newcastle looking unlikely
However, Newcastle’s activity so far in the transfer window doesn’t suggest that Morelos is actually a priority target.
They’ve already bolstered their attacking options by signing Chris Wood from Burnley for £25m [The Guardian] and it now appears that they are turning to a compatriot of Morelos, rather than the Gers talisman himself.
The Daily Record reports that the Saudi-backed Magpies have offered Serie A club Atalanta over €30m (£25m) for their powerful centre-forward Duvan Zapata, while the Express report that the offer was a loan deal with an option to buy in the summer for £22m.
The Express go on to assert that the initial approach has been rejected, but with around two weeks remaining in the window, Newcastle still have plenty of time to up their offer.
They have also been linked with Benfica striker Darwin Nunez.
Given that Callum Wilson is also already at St James’ Park, if Newcastle do land Zapata or Nunez, there’s very little chance of them moving for Morelos for the foreseeable future.
That’s good news for Rangers fans, with the forward banging in six goals in eight appearances prior to the winter break and looking ready to kick on in 2022.