This time yesterday, the Daily Record’s Duncan Castle’s released an exclusive claiming that we’d submitted a £25m bid for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata.
Just 24 hours on, the Daily Express are reporting that our bid for the Colombian international has been turned down by the Italian side.
Interestingly, they reckon our offer was an initial loan bid (£3m) with an option to buy the 30-year-old for £22m at the end of the season, meaning the deal was worth a total of £25m.
However, it seems Atalanta have rejected that offer (and I don’t really blame them), with Zapata being involved in 19 goals (12 goals and seven assists) in 22 appearances for the Serie A side this season. It is ‘unclear’ whether we will return with an improved offer.
Elsewhere, The Mail are reporting that we are now back in talks over a deal for Freidburg’s highly-rated centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck.
They claim that the 22-year-old German had previously rejected a move to the Premier League to remain in the Bundesliga until the end of the season at least, however it’s said we are now back around the negotiating table.
The same piece states that we are also closing in on Sevilla’s Diego Carlos, with us believed to have upped our offer to £30m after having our first two bids rejected by the La Liga side.
