It has recently come to light that West Ham United nearly signed Duvan Zapata in January only for the deal to disappear at the last comment.
Indeed, while speaking in an interview with the Evening Standard, manager David Moyes said a deal was close to being sorted on Deadline Day but the Hammers were left empty-handed by Atalanta after a last-minute change in plans.
“That one was done,” he explained. “But they, for the last four hours of the window, just disappeared, shut down.”
Had the striker arrived in east London, it would be interesting to see how he would fare rivalling Michail Antonio for a spot in the team.
With that in mind, TIF has looked at how the two compare this season…
Duvan Zapata
As the two are strikers, it makes sense to look at their pure goalscoring numbers first. This season, Zapata comes out on top in that sense. Indeed, the Colombian has scored 12 goals this term for his club across 23 outings, while Antonio has scored 10 in 32 games.
This stat is backed up by the fact that Zapata tends to take more shots and his efforts are also more accurate. The Serie A man averages 3.1 efforts per game, while the Jamaican is down at 2.3.
The Atalanta forward is also a much more accurate passer, and has a slightly better average match rating at 7.16 compared to Antonio’s 7.02 (as per WhoScored).
He’s also been described as a ‘fearsome prospect’ by journalist Tim Vickery.
Michail Antonio
Even though Zapata does have a better goalscoring record, he is helped by the fact that he has scored three penalties this season, while his counterpart has none – though Antonio has missed his one attempt this season (via FBRef).
The West Ham man does excel, however, when it comes to things that aren’t always associated with forwards. For instance, he tackles at a greater rate than Zapata, wins more aerial duels and applies more pressure on opposition players.
He does also have one more assist (eight this season) than Zapata, though he has played more games.
TIF Verdict…
While Antonio’s work rate and effort can’t be faulted, when it comes to goalscoring, Zapata is a much more clinical finisher. Indeed, across the span of their careers, he averages 0.5 goals per game, compared to Antonio’s o.31.
Would you want Duvan Zapata at West Ham?
Yes
No
Of course, if Moyes was to sign Zapata, it wouldn’t mean West Ham would look to sell Antonio – both could share attacking duties.
However, if the side were looking for goals, it’s fair to say that the Atalanta man would be the man to trust.
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