West Ham United made an extremely late bid to secure the services of 30-year-old Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata on Deadline Day, but failed to bring in any new faces by the 11pm deadline.
That is according to ExWHUemployee, who was speaking on The West Ham Way podcast as he claimed the Hammers submitted a bid just hours before the deadline on Monday – which saw the Italians turn quiet on a possible deal.
Will WHU finish in the top four?
Yes
No
Zapata has been in sensational form this season, with 12 goals and seven assists in his 22 appearances across Serie A and the Champions League (via Transfermarkt).
And with the Hammers failing in their attempts to strengthen Moyes’ squad for the Premier League run-in, Ex had the following to say on his Patreon page:
“We can confirm that the club started working on a deal for Duvan Zapata, a Colombian forward at Atalanta at 7pm. They thought they had got the deal done. Then, apparently, Atalanta went quiet and the deal fell through,” he said.
Heavy load on Antonio
West Ham now go into the final months of the 2021/22 campaign with just one senior striker in their squad for Moyes to choose from – Michail Antonio.
The Jamaican international has been in impressive form this season with eight goals and six assists in the Premier League alone, however, there are a lot of games remaining for the Hammers.
Moyes’ side still have games in the FA Cup and Europa League to compete in along with the remainder of the Premier League season.
And not only does that put pressure on Antonio to be a consistent outlet for goals, but it will also potentially put a huge strain on his questionable injury record.
Top-four hopes dented?
West Ham currently sit in fifth position in the Premier League table with just 15 games to go of the season, but has the January window dented their chances of a spot in next season’s Champions League?
The teams around the Hammers have games in hand on Moyes’ men, leaving them with opportunities to gain some ground on the Claret and Blues.
And unlike West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur do not have to compete in Europe over the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign, with their focus now on the league – and FA Cup for Spurs.
With a lot of games potentially still to play for the Hammers, keeping the players fit and avoiding injuries will likely be key for Moyes to achieve a top-four finish this season.
In other news: ‘I know categorically’ – Ex drops eye-opening West Ham transfer claim