Talk of Duvan Zapata arriving on Tyneside this month aren’t going away, with some big claims arriving from his homeland over the past 24 hours.
After reports in Italy and England said that we’d had an initial bid rejected earlier this week, Colombian outlet El Tiempo reckon we have submitted a new improved bid for the Atalanta star.
They state that Zapata himself is already sold on a dream move to St James’ Park, claiming that he’s already agreed to personal terms after we offered to TRIPLE his wages; taking his earnings from £32,000 a week to £105,000.
As for our offer, they claim that we are now waiting for an answer from the Serie A side after upping our bid from £25m – which was ‘rejected’ – to just over £35m.
Elsewhere, The Mail report that we are considering yet another loan move for Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury.
As many will remember, Steve Bruce tried to sign the tough tackling midfielder in each of the last two January windows, only for Mike Ashley to pull the plug on a deadline day move for the 24-year-old this time last year (The Times reported that a deal was agreed but he refused to pay the £1m loan fee!).
It’s fair to say that wouldn’t be an issue under our new owners, however it remains to be seen if Brendan Rodgers will allow him to leave, with the former England U21 international filling in at centre-back for the Foxes this week!
The Mail claim that Watford are also considering a loan bid for Choudhury; a player who would add some bite to our soft midfield, even if he would seem like an underwhelming signing now we’ve been tipped to many other more exciting names.
